This Is Our Last Goodbye
by LastDayOfMagic
Summary: A repost of a fic I posted last season after 3x15 when Elijah left Elena the letter.
1. Chapter 1

Her dark eyes numbly stared at the elegant script until it blurred on the parchment. He thought she would hate him. Never forgive him.

He was leaving her behind.

Elena slowly folded the paper and settled it back into its envelope.

He couldn't.

oOo

She waited, inside his car.

Elena was relieved she'd gotten here in time, but she didn't dare approach the Mikaelson house. Klaus made her skin crawl, and she didn't trust that Rebekah wouldn't come after her.

But she had to see Elijah.

His earlier words resounded in her mind. He would know she was here, by the pounding of her heart. She didn't worry he would avoid her – that just wasn't his nature. If she came to confront him, he would face her. His honor. She had tried to calm herself, but it was no use. And she wasn't sure why exactly she couldn't just let him go.

And then – he was inside the car with her. She jumped in her seat, startled by his sudden appearance. Normally her reaction would have caused some amusement on his part, but he appeared so morose that she felt out of sorts herself. As though their dynamic was off now.

"Why are you here, Elena?"

He wasn't looking at her, just ahead, at the row of trees along the front of the property. She took a deep breath. "Your note… why are you leaving?"

"It would be in your best interest if we all left," he said quietly, and his eyes met hers now. "You deserve a life free of vampires, and all of this supernatural business."

She was silent for a moment, trying to ease the ache in her throat before she spoke. "I will never be free, Elijah. I'm at Klaus's mercy… no one can save me from that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, and the subtle narrowing of his eyes showed her how conflicted he was. "But right now he's not even my biggest worry… I just don't know if I can live with myself, not knowing what becomes of you?"

"You need to forget about me," he shot back sternly, and the words stung at her. "I've been an abomination in your life, Elena… I've caused more complications than I've solved, and I set you up to be murdered last night." She opened her mouth to protest, but he shook his head, adding emphatically, "Let me go."

He reached across her, careful not to touch her, and she swallowed hard as he opened the door. Then he settled back into his seat, staring at her with a cold gaze.

Her cheeks flushed hotly. Elena slowly stepped out of the car, into the cool air, clutching her coat tight around her. She leaned down to look at him one last time.

"Goodbye, Elijah," she said softly, just before she clicked the door shut. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away.

oOo

The rain pouring down matched her mood. She curled up in the window seat, gazing out over the streets of Mystic Falls. Streetlights shone over the rain drops, illuminating them like fireflies as they fell through the air.

Her diary sat open upon her lap and her hand rested against the page. She'd spent the last two weeks avoiding the calls of both Stefan and Damon, only talking to Caroline who gave her updates on Bonnie and her mom's transition. Ric was still here, but in a funk after narrowly avoiding serious physical injury by Dr. Fell and her poor shot with a pistol. But his heart and head were a mess. He did tell Elena in one of his lucid, sober moments that Damon somehow determined Meredith was compelled. And after all the recent close calls, Elena was more certain than ever that Jenna was looking out for him from the great beyond. She felt a pang in her chest as she thought of her late aunt. She could use her camaraderie and dry humor right now, to bring her out of her own funk.

Elena was hesitant to admit it aloud, but she knew in her heart that Elijah was at the root of her depressed state. His name was scrawled and emphasized at the top of an otherwise blank page. She wasn't sure when he'd become such a fixture in her mind, in her life. Of course his presence was so commanding that she'd thought of him often ever since she'd first met him. But when had he become someone she would have added to her list of those to save?

Even when Stefan was her main focus during the summer, and then Damon throughout the fall… he was always in her thoughts. She was so relieved when Damon revealed that he'd undaggered the Original that she'd almost kissed him again. It was something she'd considered doing herself when she first saw the coffins in the plantation ruins. But she remained wary of how Stefanwould react, especially after that terrifying night on the bridge. She shuddered in recollection. Elena missed Stefan even after all of this, but she knew it wasn't healthy anymore. She wanted him to find himself, wanted Damon to continue on his path to being a better man, but both of them had proven over and over that they were slaves to their emotions… she couldn't predict their reactions in any volatile situation. As many times as they'd saved her, they'd both let her down, time and time again.

And that was where Elijah held the upper hand. He remained constant. His response in most situations was one she understood, once all the cards were laid out on the table. It wasn't ever that he would show up and snap her brother's neck, or threaten to drive her off a bridge to turn her, or allow himself to be compelled into attacking her. She could even understand why he'd left - as much as that hurt. And it would be easier if she knew he would return, or if she had a way to reach out if she needed him. Not knowing if she would ever see him again, without telling him she forgave him and hoping he forgave her... without telling him how she felt...

It left a hollow feeling in her chest. And a bit of confusion, because she wasn't sure what these feelings she held for him were. Friendship? It wasn't like any other friendship she had... the respect, the honor, the way they regarded each other were all reminiscent of an Old World courtship, which was a realization that both alarmed her and shot a jolt of nervous butterflies straight down to her toes.

But what does it matter? she asked herself. It wasn't like she would ever find out now.

Elena focused on the ground and streets below. She noticed a dark figure nearly shrouded at the base of the oak tree in the side yard. Her heart swelled for a moment. Was it him? But as she squinted closer... from the form and the fit of the jacket, it became apparent that it was Stefan. Keeping an eye on her dutifully despite the fact that Elena was slowly distancing herself from him - a fact they were both well aware of.

She sighed with a slight scowl, looking up to the ceiling. She was starting to feel suffocated by the vampire brothers and their tendencies, their intensity. She couldn't wholly blame them. She'd gotten just as caught up in it, and she knew she was the source of much of the external drama they'd weathered. But watching Stefan and Damon together and how she had fractured their already fragile relationship more... she couldn't bring herself to come between them, to tear them further apart.

And when she glanced down again, he wasn't there any longer.

She closed her diary and stood, pulling her curtains closed. Her thoughts were far too disjointed and scrambled at the moment to work out on paper. Plus she worried about anyone happening upon the direction her thoughts were taking now. She pulled at the loose floorboard in her closet, setting the diary into its new hiding spot. New since Jeremy found it behind her painting, anyway. Then she settled under the covers and turned out the lights, hoping Stefan would stay away. She didn't want to visit that trouble tonight.

And if he did happen to show up, she hoped her heartbeat wouldn't betray her.

oOo

His car slowed outside her house once the younger Salvatore had left. He felt for the vampire, truly... he understood what it was to end up tangled in his brother's web and to lose everything he cared about.

Elijah had left a week ago, certain he wouldn't return. But once he completed his journey, thoughts of her drew him back. He wasn't sure what exactly he expected from her, if anything more than a moment of kindred spirithood here and there. Of course he wanted more, but that was beyond what he knew was realistically possible. However, as penance of his own, he felt obligated to offer her protection from his brother. Keeping an eye over her for the rest of her natural life – it wasn't that long in terms of eternity. If anything else happened to her while he was away, that he could have prevented… it was an understatement to say that the regret would be a black cloud over the remainder of his existence. His mother had called them monsters, it was time to set about changing that. He needed to start by taking some responsibility not just for himself, but for his siblings as well. He would act as the conscience they didn't have, the archangel of retribution when they didn't heed his warning.

He knew his first task in maintaining Elena's safety would be keeping Klaus honest, and that entailed evening the playing field. The daggers were finally gone, forever. They resided at the bottom of the Black Sea now, rendered incapacitated by one of his gypsy friends skilled in the ways of reversing black magic. The sort of magic Esther practiced. And their defusing and future decay meant that Elena wouldn't have to worry about his sudden disappearances any longer, unless she herself banished him from her life. He would remain in her periphery until she needed him.

After the nightmare her life had become, he at least owed her that.

oOo

Elena stretched against her pillow, welcoming the morning sunlight that streamed through the windows. Maybe it would chase out the dreariness in her soul as well. She reached over to turn off her alarm clock, and her fingers brushed against something cool, dewy. She sat up. A yellow rose laid on her nightstand, the edges of the petals tinged with red that bled down and mixed into a deep orange – elegant and vibrant. She glanced around and realized the window was half open. She wrapped her arms around herself after she climbed out from under her warm covers, against the cool breeze of early spring. She looked out the window with the rose clutched in one hand, studying the streets, perplexed. It was clearly left here recently, yet no one was around. Damon and Stefan usually made their presence known… a note, a tag, something. But there was nothing. And she didn't see anything, or anyone. She closed the window now, her brow wrinkling at the mystery.

Elijah smiled, watching her. She would know when the time was right.


	2. Chapter 2

"He looks awful," Caroline remarked in a soft whisper with a glance at where Alaric stood in the front of their history class.

Elena nodded from her seat in front of her. Three other seats were conspicuously empty around them - Bonnie's, Tyler's and Stefan's - leaving the girls in their own isolated little island in the middle of the room. Ric shot them a sharp look when he noticed their gossiping.

"Do you have a comment about the Korean War, Miss Forbes?" He crossed his arms in front of the class. His clothes were visibly wrinkled and a few-days-past-acceptable coating of stubble covered his face. The bags under his eyes told further of his hung-over, sleepless state. Elena looked down in embarrassment and she heard Caroline shifting behind her.

"No, no... sorry, Mr. Saltzman," she stammered.

Ric frowned silently, perhaps wearily, and for a moment Elena wondered if he was going to call them both out right now. Not that she expected a free pass because he was her guardian, but with everything going on at the moment, Caroline chattering was really the most minor offense. She held her breath until he seemed to retreat. His shoulders slumped a bit as he turned to another student with her hand raised. The rest of the period passed rather uneventfully, with no more gossiping in her ear. But to be honest, Elena probably wouldn't have noticed if she weren't directly involved, because her mind was on the rose - or more specifically who her visitor (intruder?) had been three nights ago. Stefan surely would have been here if it were him - he wouldn't make such a grand gesture and then avoid her. It seemed as though he was giving her the distance she craved instead. And she hadn't had one call or text from Damon. He would've had to claim his credit if he were responsible, and yet all she heard from him was radio silence. Not to mention that he still hadn't apologized for his tryst with Rebekah.

And then there was Klaus... he was another remote possibility, but it seemed more likely that he would be leaving roses for Caroline. Elena was merely his human cash cow, so to speak - a precious commodity to continue his hybrid line. And Elijah was gone.

She sighed, and Caroline's imposing shadow startled her out of her thoughts as she came to stand over her.

"Are you ready to go?" She had a hand on her hip and she looked closer. "What's with all the swirly 'E's'?"

"Oh," Elena blurted out, flustered and shutting her notebook quickly. She was imitating Elijah's script absentmindedly. "Nothing. Let's go."

Caroline's eyebrow arched but she continued ahead of Elena, her hair a flounce of golden curls. Once they were out in the hallway, she leaned in to Elena's ear. "Have you heard from Elijah?"

"What? No," she insisted and Caroline's mouth turned up the slightest bit. "Why? Did Klaus say something?"

"Ew, no." Caroline wrinkled her nose. "It's not like I talk to him. Not willingly, anyway."

Elena gave her a reproachful look. Caroline sighed.

"Listen, I can't help it that he 'fancies' me. Or that he stops by. I've tried to ignore him, but my mom invited him in. Though I guess he can be sort of charming sometimes... and he has really good taste." She shrugged defensively as Elena rolled her eyes. "It's not like Elijah doesn't have a thing for you, too - did you see how he looked at you at the ball? That was intense, Elena," she added as the brunette started to protest.

"Yeah, and he still left anyway," she sighed. "Besides, I have my hands full with vampires. I don't need to take on another one."

"Whatever you say," Caroline sing-songed. "Sooo… are you going to let me borrow that purple dress?"

"Sure." They were outside now, nearing their cars. "Tyler's going to be back soon?"

"Maybe this weekend. I need time to accessorize." There was a nervous smile on Caroline's face. "He's doing really well! I'm like, so proud of him for doing this. I mean, of course for me, but for him too, you know? He won't have to live under Klaus's control forever."

"Must be nice," Elena muttered, thinking of her own existence. "Are you going to tell him about Klaus?"

"There's not much to tell." She fiddled at the buttons on her jacket, letting out an exasperated groan when she met Elena's stern gaze. At first Elena thought she was going to again deny it, but Caroline had clearly realized that it was past the point of disputing what was obvious to everyone else – she shared some sort of connection with the hybrid Original that kept him coming back. Then she frowned, bothered by her friend raining on her happy moment. "I'll see you at your house, okay?"

Caroline didn't give her a chance to answer before she was in the car, door slammed. Elena followed suit, driving behind her friend's Ford until they had arrived at her house. She spent most of the short trip in a daze about apologizing to Caroline and then the Originals, much as they'd plagued her thoughts since they first surfaced and then set down roots.

Elena stepped up the stairs to the porch, her bag slung over her shoulder, and she unlocked the door. Caroline trailed behind her, up the stairs, into her room, both girls silent. She sat on the bed as Elena opened her closet doors, scouring through the cramped space for the dress in question.

"Ooooh," Caroline breathed from behind her, and Elena glanced back. The blonde's fingers trailed over the edge of the rose that sat in a small crystal vase on her nightstand, every bit as fresh as it had been Saturday morning. "Who gave you this beauty?"

"Um, I'm not sure," Elena answered nonchalantly, her attention back in the closet as she pulled out the hanger. "It was here when I woke up Saturday. With the window open."

She handed the short plum dress to Caroline, who now stood to hold it to her form, looking in Elena's full-length mirror. "Well, they're definitely trying to tell you something. You know what that means, right? Yellow rose with red tips?"

Her eyes met Elena's in the mirror, and Elena shrugged.

"I have no idea, Care – you've always been more into that stuff than me."

Caroline smirked, her smile holding secretive interest. "It means that someone – a friend –is falling in love with you. So Stefan didn't leave it here." She turned around. "Damon?"

Elena's arms were crossed as she shook her head. "I haven't talked to him since the day after he slept with Rebekah."

"Hmm." She shrugged as she folded the dress over her arm. "I guess you have a secret admirer then. One more vampire to juggle. Maybe Elijah?"

"He left, remember?" Elena said again, her tone wearing thin at repeating the phrase that was a thorn in her side.

"Well, it's a mystery then." Caroline stopped at the doorway. "Bye, Elena."

Her sunny demeanor followed her out the door, the room seeming darker already seconds after she'd left. Elena hung her messenger bag over the hook on the back of her door before slumping down onto her bed. If only it really were Elijah.

oOo

The clasp gave Caroline a hard time, and she swore under her breath when she chipped a nail. She wrestled with the charm bracelet for a moment longer before dropping it back onto the jewelry dish on her dresser.

"My bracelet would've suited the dress much better."

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up at the voice behind her. She slowly turned, trying to twist her expression into one of apathetic boredom before she met Klaus's gaze.

"This is what I'm wearing to see Tyler this weekend – why would I wear your bracelet for that? To be reminded of how you compelled him to bite me?" Her arms crossed and her chin sat high.

He wore a wolfish smirk, the lush reddish tint of his lips drawing her attention. "But you wore it everywhere else. Everywhere he wasn't. Maybe you're frightened for him to see you have another suitor."

He pulled his hand from his pocket, producing the bracelet in question, and he held it out to her. She glanced at him curiously, but she didn't uncross her arms or move forward.

"Why would you bring that back?" she asked sharply.

"Because I want you to have it."

His eyes betrayed his confident smile and she wondered how she held this much power over a vampire who was over a thousand years old, her creator as it were. She could see the anxiousness under his expression, and she knew it was dangerous of her to play this game with him, but she couldn't ever just give in to him. There was this innate urge to push back and she knew it would be her downfall.

"I don't want your gifts." Her tone was blunt and his hand faltered as his eyes flashed with a brief fury. But then the mask smoothed over and his smile widened ever so slightly.

She watched his gaze pass over her dresser and her throat tightened as she realized what he was focused upon.

"But the sketch was too precious to let go," he remarked coyly, as though he'd caught her in his web.

She blinked a few times, her heart racing. "No one's ever drawn me before," she admitted quietly.

"And it's a shame they haven't."

He moved closer, so that they only stood a few inches apart and she had to tilt her head back to look at him. His mouth twitched a bit, as though he was weighing over what he should say, or as if he were tempted to kiss her. The latter thought set her pulse racing again.

"Why do you resist me so, Caroline?"

His eyes searched hers and she didn't – couldn't – look away. She did narrow her eyes, though, crossing her arms tighter. "Why do you give me all these gifts instead of the one thing that I really want?" she countered.

His smile fell dead, his mouth turning into a pout.

"And why do you think I can trust you?" she added.

"Caroline, don't you see?" he began, moving ever closer, till they were nearly touching. "We complement each other, your lightness to my darkness, your kindness to my fury. You temper me. Make me feel like I have the possibility of goodness within me. And my years and wisdom complement your naivete, show you there is something beyond all of this, that can propel you to greatness. But just as you can't trust me, I can't trust you."

Her head was dizzy as his fingers traced over the collar of the dress, his low accented voice doing funny things to her mind. She licked her lips before she spoke, trying to string together her words once he stopped talking. "But… why? Why can't you trust me?"

A half smile answered her, as he saw the effect he had on her. "Because if I were to free Tyler of the sire bond, I can't trust that you wouldn't turn him against me someday. His allegiance would be to you, love."

Her jaw clenched down on a sigh that threatened to escape at his last breathy words playing against her skin. She took a step back out of his influence, reclaiming her personal space so she could think.

"Then I guess we're deadlocked," she said. "If you're not feeding me a line of BS about being a better man, I don't see why Tyler's allegiance matters. But until you release him… there's no way you can prove that to me. Unless…"  
She drew out the end of the sentence with a bitten lip, and he seemed to hang on to every word.

"Unless?" he prodded when she remained silent.

"Unless you let Elena be free, let her live her life without worrying about you. Give up on the hybrids."

He groaned, rolling his head away and she caught his face with her hand, so he was forced to meet her eyes. He froze at her touch. She'd never willingly done so before, and she swallowed as he stared at her.

"I don't see why violence is necessary, Klaus. We can have peace, but it's not going to happen when you're rallying up your own army. At least… at least think about it," she added, seeing his own resistance mirroring hers.

He let out a deep sigh. "And you would give us a chance."

She nodded. "If you give me your word," she answered hopefully, with a soft smile. "And no underlying motives."

He was quiet for a couple of minutes, contemplating the terms. Caroline didn't know whether to expect him to laugh at her, or to take her seriously. She continued to bite at her lip nervously, nearly drawing blood. Finally, he said, "Let me think on it. You do drive a hard bargain, you know."

"I know," she smirked. "I'm probably just as stubborn as you are."

He laughed now. "I would have to agree with that."

His expression sobered as he leaned in, kissing her cheek, and she closed her eyes while his lips lingered.

"Goodbye, Caroline," he said, moving to the door.

"Goodbye." She smiled again, but her eyes widened as a thought popped into her mind. "Oh, Klaus? Before you go – I just have a question to ask."

"What is it, love?"

"Um… is Elijah still around? Or did he leave town?"

"No, he left two weeks ago." His eyebrow arched. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, Elena was wondering. Just… just something she saw, made her think of him. You know how they were friends and all." Caroline shrugged. "That's all. So… I hope to hear from you soon?"

"That you can count on," he replied.

"Okay." She waved as Klaus closed the door now. Once she was sure he was gone, she sat down on the bed, where a text from Tyler was blinking. She sighed, pressing the "ignore" button. She couldn't go there yet, not until this was settled.


	3. Chapter 3

His phone vibrated in his pocket, catching him off guard. Distracting him.

He had intended to cut all ties, but it was the one connection he couldn't forfeit when push came to shove. Not with her safety at risk. If she were desperate enough to make a last ditch effort to contact him... he couldn't just walk away. He would've come back immediately, despite everything he'd said otherwise.

It had become painfully clear that he was tied to her, as long as she was alive. And that fact left him uneasy, as it wasn't a connection he had experienced with anyone before. Not even his family, at least not to this degree. It wasn't to say he hadn't felt concern or obligation toward others over the centuries, but this wasn't as simple as infatuation or admiration or loyalty. It surpassed that.

With a sigh, he pulled out his phone, his breath catching at her illuminated name.

_You are missed. Just thought you should know._

The timestamp was from only a few minutes before, 3:46am. He wondered why she was awake at this hour. He briefly considered going to her, but there were tasks he needed to accomplish first.

And the witch was approaching him now.

oOo

Elena refreshed her texts, her email, Facebook. The sites she used to go on before her world was turned upside down by vampires and ancient curses, made into something she couldn't discuss with anyone but her inner circle, and not even them sometimes. But at this hour, the witching hour, she felt so alone. She couldn't sleep, but it was too early to leave the warm cocoon of her bed. And it was also too late to go back to sleep and wake up rested enough to take on another day. She sighed, knowing it meant she'd miss another day of school. She wouldn't be able to concentrate in any of her classes, even if she mainlined caffeine straight into her veins. Too many nights had been spent this way lately, and it was catching up with her. Thankfully her attendance record this year had been better, and she could afford the absence.

Tonight's bout of sleeplessness was tipped off by Caroline's text that Elijah was definitely gone. She tossed and turned, first with the text repeating in her mind before transitioning to the continued curiosity over the identity of the person who left the flower. But at this hour, therewasn't anyone to talk with to clear her head. There were only her thoughts to keep her company, and they were far from comforting.

Which brought her to the other issue she'd been trying to ignore - the growing distance between her and her circle of friends. Caroline was pretty much the only one she could count on right now… maybe Matt, too. But that was it. Bonnie was avoiding her, and Alaric was preoccupied. She was sure now that Stefan and Damon had stepped back, too. And she was nervous at first, without the Salvatores hovering by her side. But Elena had gained some perspective after being outside of the situation, even for a just few short weeks. She missed them, but she didn't. She was ready to find herself, so to speak… she'd gone straight from mourning her parents' deaths into this bizarre triangle of codependency. It was time to figure out who she was now, to limit who she trusted for a bit, and then to selectively decide who got to come back in. Plainly speaking, it was time to protect her heart.

She'd gone to bat for so many, only to come up disappointed time and time again. Except for Elijah.

Despite everything - trying to tell herself that he'd left her behind and trying to make herself abhor his actions as much as he clearly did - he still stayed on her mind.

So she sent the message into the ether. It was a slim chance – very slim – that it would ever reach him, but it would be cathartic, if nothing else. And she would move on, regardless. Her admission to the universe would be enough.

But if he did get it... maybe he would start to forgive himself, as she already had.

Maybe he would come back.

But she couldn't hope.

oOo

"You called me. Here I am."

The Bennett witch- Bonnie,he remembered - stood in front of him in the forest, not far from where his mother had recently tried to carry out her spell. Bonnie's eyes reminded him of Ayana's - wise, powerful... cold.

A confident half smile crossed his face. "Yes, thank you for coming. I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to meet me."

She shrugged as she crossed her arms, trying to project an image of indifference but he could tell she was also nervous. "Just a little curious, yes."

"I understand we have our differences," he began. "But I'm requesting your help, in breaking the spell that links my siblings and myself."

She gave a harsh, sarcastic laugh. "Are you serious?"

Elijah didn't answer, continuing to watch her instead. She was a veritable powerhouse, the generations of witchcraft built up in her bloodline, manifested in her, though she had yet to realize it all. And this was why he came to her with his request. He was certain she could easily undo his mother's work. But he also didn't trust her. And after every encounter with her, he wondered how someone as open and accepting as Elena could be her best friend… they were a study in extremes.

Her expression was one of pure indignance now that she held the upper hand. "Why would I help you, after all of the trouble you've caused? I'd rather help your mother again…" She leaned in closer. "Turn you all human, watch you all drop after she kills you. Just like all the lives you've taken."

He was speechless for a moment... most of her threat was like static to his ears, idle at best. But human? That was something witches had tried unsuccessfully to accomplish for centuries, on behalf of vampires who wished nothing more than to be human again, and his mother had unlocked the key? If she had succeeded, could turn them human... why did she still want them dead? She would punish them again for her own sins. The revelation left him numb, to say the least.

Bonnie just stared at him, her eyes acidic and he collected himself, his own gaze hardening, eyes narrowed. She stepped back slightly, a wise move as her abrasiveness left him feeling less than cordial now.

"I don't believe my mother revealed to you the ramifications of your actions if the spell had been carried out," he replied, his tone artificially calm, a fact they were both aware of. "But allow me to enlighten you with the knowledge I've gathered in the time since. Your collaboration would have not only killed us Originals, but all vampires. Stefan, Damon, Caroline... your mother."

Her expression remained blasé until he mentioned the blonde, and her eyes widened briefly when he referenced Abby. But the apathy quickly returned.

"Maybe you haven't realized, but your kind is an abomination. Lives have been ruined, and if I can prevent that from happening in the future... it would be worth the sacrifice. I'm sure my mother would agree with me, even if it means she dies."

He watched her for a moment, but that determination didn't falter, her hatred for vampires remained intact even as much as it could affect those she loved. It wasn't enough to change her mind, and his jaw tightened before he disclosed the next detail. "It also would kill the doppelgänger."

Her expression was torn - duty mixed with regret, confusion. "But Elena's been innocent in all of this -"

"As have several vampires... not all of us chose to turn." He fixed her with a reproachful look, and she averted her gaze. But he continued. "Elena is a manifestation of the spells associated with the Original curse. And she's tied to Tatia, whose blood was used to turn us."

She swallowed, but remained silent, and he cursed inwardly. How could she bring everyone around her down? Even if Elena would probably sacrifice herself for the greater good, how could Bonnie live with herself? Damn her - this misguided moralistic crusade was a thorn in his side, and since time was running out before his mother struck again, he was going to be forced to lay all his cards on the table.

"I understand it goes against your convictions, Bonnie. And I know my brother's power is a gross anomaly… I apologize for my part in that. If I had killed him when I had the chance, we might not be facing this now." He frowned as the self-righteousness seeped back into her expression, and he fought the urge to physically erase it from her face from eternity. His hand clenched in his pocket as he continued. "However, murdering an entire race will bring about consequences that you cannot fathom. It isn't your judgment call to make, nor my mother's. But seeing as Esther will cease to exist after she finishes playing God, there won't be anyone here to deal with the fallout."

"What are you talking about?" she scoffed. "I'd be restoring order -"

"I'm afraid not."

Elijah paused, bracing himself for her reaction to the entire truth, that which his mother had failed to tell anyone, the details of which had kept him awake at night. And it was too close to happening.

"Killing us would erase us. It would erase the spells interwoven with the curse, those that were created over centuries. It would erase our mark on mankind. Those we've healed would die, those we've saved would perish. It would erase generations, bloodlines, entire families. They simply would not exist." Her eyes were widening as the realization set in, and his voice lowered as he prepared to deliver the biggest blow. "And you… you would no longer exist either. You would not be here to even attempt to set it right. The balance of nature has adjusted itself in one thousand years to include our presence, and the sudden eradication of our history would create a vortex of instability. The apocalypse, Bonnie. This is why I need you to help me stop her."

He could see her mind going into overdrive, trying to wrap itself around the reality he predicted. She trembled, blinking, her mouth opening as if she wanted to protest, but she was speechless.

Still, he gave her a few moments of silence to attempt to process it all, before asking again, "Can I count on you to help me?"

She nodded slowly, finally, with a new resolve borne out of her own fear. "Yes," she answered.

oOo

There was a sense of relief in him now, under the anxious energy, as he crouched next to her bed. The twilight that came just before dawn cast a dusky blue light through her curtains, and he gently brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. Elena's eyelids never fluttered at his touch, but her chest rose and fell with steady sleeping breaths. His finger traced along the chain he'd clasped around her neck moments earlier, stopping upon the antique medal of St. Michael. It wouldn't be long before Elijah would have to reveal his presence to her, but not tonight.

He allowed himself one more moment of watching her, before he slipped out the window.


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't until she had stepped into the bathroom, her head in a fog from her disjointed sleep, that she noticed the medallion. It caught her eye as she washed her hands, similar in its aged silver patina but different enough from the vervain necklace that she'd worn for the better part of a year. Her visual memory tricked her briefly, as she'd almost forgotten that she didn't wear Stefan's necklace anymore since she'd returned it to Rebekah. But whereas the other was a heavy locket, this one was a slim oval disc, more ornate, worked in a finer hand. The edges were scalloped and the center depicted a man with a halo, the script around him reading 'ST MICHAEL.'

Her heart began to pound, her mind instantly translating Michael to Mikael, and then Mikaelson.

Was it another Original stalking her? Kol, maybe, or Finn? How either would have ever obtained an invitation into her house was beyond her, but Klaus had possessed Alaric's body in the past – were they in another form? Or perhaps they'd compelled a human to carry out their tasks. She raced back into her bedroom, her eyes scanning over the room.

A slip of white paper laid upon the nightstand, tucked under the corner of her alarm clock. She picked it up with shaky fingers, her mind calming slightly once she recognized the script.

_A reminder that I'm with you, watching over. No need to worry, my dear._

Her fingers went to the medal again. St. Michael was the archangel. Watching over her. Like Elijah.

A small smile formed on her lips as she realized he must have received her text as well. She read over the message again, the nerves that had been frayed over the last week or two replaced by butterflies wisping through her stomach.

She picked up her phone.

oOo

"I'm surprised you've returned so soon."

Elijah stood silently in the parlor of the new estate as Klaus addressed him. Klaus turned to face him, smirking, with a glass of wine in hand.

"The Petrova again, eh? Luckily I have no designs on this one, brother. You're free to pursue her, as long as she remains human. Or even if she doesn't, I don't care. She just needs to carry on that bloodline first."

Elijah's expression remained solemn as he stepped down the stairs, toward where Klaus stood near the windows. "I have no plans to pursue her."

Klaus's eyebrow raised, the smirk still intact. "Ah, I apologize. Rebekah led me to believe otherwise. What did she call you again…" he mused teasingly. "Pathetic?"

"I'm not denying that I'm fond of her, Niklaus. But she's human and intends to stay so. I don't wish to cause more turmoil in her heart than the Salvatores already have done."

His brother's expression turned sour. "Yes, she would be better off with them out of her life. But the poor girl was always destined to have one foot in the vampire world. You know the fate of the doppelganger. It's not going to change simply because the curse is broken."

"No, not with you siphoning her blood for your hybrids." He narrowed his gaze, but Klaus simply shrugged.

"That wasn't by my choice, Elijah. Surely it's inconvenient for me to have to rely upon only her and her bloodline. You can thank our dear mother and her witch friends for putting that clause into place."

"Yes, well, that's not the only trouble Esther has been stirring up."

"She's still gunning to take us down, I presume?" Klaus eyed him as he took a sip from the crystal tumbler.

"Not just us," Elijah answered quietly. "Everything."

Klaus gave a confused expression. "What are you talking about?"

"Grigore. I went to see him about the destruction of the daggers. They are no more."

His brother subtly scowled. "Fair enough," was all he said.

"I wasn't coming back here as your brother without ensuring we were on a level playing field. Not with your temper and rash behavior."

Elijah raised his eyebrow pointedly, and Klaus gave a reluctant nod. Elijah knew that was as close as he'd get to an admission that he was right, though he was also aware that Klaus wasn't proud of his temper and that he usually regretted his behavior after the fact. It was something he had confessed long ago, when they were as close of friends as they were brothers. And he'd admitted then that his pride kept him from apologizing or giving in. Which led to him carting family members around in coffins. Elijah supposed that this meant Klaus would have to work on dealing with the ramifications of his actions. And it was about time, after nearly one thousand years.

"I told him of Mother's failed spell," Elijah continued. "He informed me that by murdering us, she would erase us and all vampires from history, and succeed in singlehandedly creating such chaos in the world that it would essentially result in the apocalypse."

Klaus's frown deepened, and now the anger brewing below was visible. "And yet, she thinks we're monsters."

"Ironic, isn't it?"

"Just a bit. And I suppose," Klaus said, running his finger over the edge of his glass, "that you're looking for my help?"

"Yes." Elijah looked out the window, the sunny day marred by the weight of his knowledge. "We need to stand together against her. I've already brought Bonnie on our side. She's going to break the link between us."

"There won't be anything stopping her from trying to take me out then," he muttered. "Elena's concern for you was a nice break from the attempts on my life."

Elijah looked at his brother now. "And what would make you think she'd succeed?"

"You can't tell me you haven't realized how powerful she is. It's only a matter of time. Not to mention that there's white ash oak here somewhere, from the Original tree. Rebekah saw it in the cave drawings."

Klaus's revelation left him dumbfounded. It would be their certain end, if they crossed the wrong person. Elijah wasn't worried so much for his own well-being, but strangely enough he was concerned about facing the rest of eternity without his brother. And Rebekah, to some extent, if she weren't capable of reigning herself in.

"We'll find a way to eradicate the remnants of the tree," he assured him. "It won't happen."

"I hope so, brother. But I have to admit I'm surprised you would want to save my life, after all of the trouble I've caused."

Klaus studied him curiously, but Elijah remained silent, not wanting to let down his guard again just yet. His brother could turn on a dime and act as master manipulator when it suited his plans,and until he was certain Klaus had changed… he wouldn't be wearing his heart on his sleeve. Many centuries had passed since they were that close. But if the chance were there for it to occur honestly, without any underlying motives, he had to admit that he would welcome it. Their bond was the one he missed most.

"We are still family," he said finally. "But I'm sure it won't be an agreement reached without some sort of compromise in regards to your existence. You may want to start reconsidering your hybrid army agenda and Elena's obligation to you."

"Duly noted." Klaus took another sip, remarkably calm. His unruffled reaction left Elijah wondering if he were in an alternate universe as he'd expected his brother to become irate at the suggestion. But he didn't elaborate, and Elijah wasn't going to press. His phone began to buzz in his pocket, and he took it out long enough to silence it, just after seeing who the sender was.

"Alright," he said. "We'll speak more about this later, when Rebekah and Kol have returned. I have a bit of research to carry out myself, anyway, about locating Finn. I'm sure we'll need him here soon."

Klaus nodded with a knowing smile as he moved past his brother, patting him on the shoulder and glancing at the screen. "Your room has been left the same. I knew you couldn't stay away forever."

His brother left the room quickly then, and Elijah sighed, irritated that Klaus wasn't going to give up on the allegations that he was after Elena. He opened his phone.

_Thank you for the necklace. Maybe next time you can drop by when I'm awake._

He smirked despite himself. Soon enough, he thought.

oOo

It was two mornings later when Klaus called her, asking to meet… it was 'important.'

"Ah, sweet Caroline," he greeted with a smile, as he slid into the seat across from her at the Grill. She glanced around nervously.

"You'd better make it quick. I still need to get to school before English. If my mom finds out I'm skipping…"

He grinned, and she narrowed her eyes.

"What's so funny?"

"You are just… adorable, sometimes. That's all." He thanked the waitress who set a mug of coffee in front of him before turning his attention back to her. "I enjoy it."

She pouted, but not seriously, because he could see the dusting of pink atop her cheeks and the flattered expression she was trying to hide in her eyes. "Thank you," she finally allowed.

He nodded. She'd been loosening up around him… slowly, to be sure, but enough. She didn't shoot daggers out of her eyes at him every time she looked at him now. He could tell that she wanted to like him, but she didn't trust him enough… yet.

"Are you going to tell me why you wanted me to meet you here? I'm already going to have to compel them in the office to forget that I was even late. Which is stupid, because I'm only missing study hall, but they're so ridiculously strict now since people have gone missing and died and stuff."

He hid another smirk behind the cup of coffee, sipping slowly so he wouldn't choke. Then he set the mug down and looked at her. "What if I told you I had a proposition, in return for your proposition…"

"Nope," she retorted, her blonde waves bouncing as she shook her head. "I already said no ulterior motives-"

"It's not an ulterior motive." He leaned forward across the small table, and she straightened in her chair. "I'll even go one step further, and release Tyler from the sire bond, if you agree to help me with this."

"Not until you tell me what 'this' is." She crossed her arms, already wary of what was going to come out of his mouth.

"You have to promise me, Caroline. You will not breathe a word of the details of this conversation to anyone, whether you agree or disagree. It could end very badly for all of us. It is literally life or death."

She studied him for a moment, and he knew his seriousness at the moment was scaring her. But he couldn't risk it otherwise. Slowly, she let out the breath she'd been holding, nodding. "Okay. I promise."

"You give me your word."

"Yes. You have my word. I won't tell anyone."

"If I find out you lied-"

"I'm not lying! I won't say anything." He heard Caroline's heart skip a beat as she leaned forward now, placing her hand over his. "I won't."

Klaus swallowed as her eyes fixed on his, and he briefly wondered what he was getting himself into. Something about her honesty and her intensity terrified him, yet beguiled him. Hewondered how it was possible she had managed to get under his skin, and why he was equally as honest with her, especially after she had rejected him. Multiple times.

And yet here she was in front of him again. Touching him, of her own volition, even. Somehow that strengthened his resolve that this needed to happen, even more than his conversation with Elijah two days ago. Jesus, when had he started to fall head over heels for this girl?

He sighed. "I need your help in convincing Bonnie to destroy the weapon that could kill the existing Originals."

Caroline's eyes widened as she sat back in her chair. "Oh, no. There's no way… she hatesvampires. I mean, I'm pretty convincing, but she almost killed me after I turned." She shook her head again. "She will never go for that, not in a million years."

"What if I'm willing to make a permanent compromise with her?"

"Are you saying…"

"I am. But only if she destroys it, permanently. If she will do that, I will leave Elena alone. Stop with the hybrid business."

She smiled at him.

"Only if she agrees," he reiterated.

"I know. But… why now? I thought you wanted your hybrids more than anything."

"Yes, but I suppose I've realized my family's safety is more important. And… I'd like a chance with you."

She bit her lip on another smile, nervously glancing down at the table. "Okay," she answered. "I'll – I'll help you. And if she agrees, and this all works out… I'll give you a chance."

He smiled back himself, her anxious anticipation making him feel like a teenager. He didn't react this way with women – it was all lust, and sex, and mutual satisfaction. They didn't make him nervous, or second-guess his intentions. And they certainly didn't make demands of him or make him chase after them. But somehow, someone who wasn't impressed with his power, who actually wanted to know him… it was refreshing. And he could talk to Caroline, and she would give her opinion, not what he wanted to hear. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

She shifted nervously in her seat, pulling her purse upon her lap. He caught her hand, placing a kiss upon it.

"Thank you."

Caroline slowed down for a second, letting her hand linger and her gaze meet his. "You're welcome." Then the moment was over as she stood, straightening her jacket. But she paused before she walked away. "Call me?"

He nodded, and she gave him a genuine smile. Klaus relaxed back into his chair and watched her saunter out the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"I can drop you off," Caroline said, "but I can't stay."

Her eyes avoided Elena's, which Elena found just a bit suspicious. In fact, Caroline had been acting oddly ever since she came in late to school last week. But Elena hadn't thought it was worth mentioning, at least not until now.

"Okay," she fished. "I mean, if you have stuff to do, I can always wait for Ric. It's not a big deal."

"Oh, no – I don't mind." The blonde vampire smiled weakly. She was a horrible liar. "It's just... stuff."

Elena shifted the bookbag on her shoulder, staring at her friend. "Klaus stuff?"

The guilt on Caroline's face was answer enough. She didn't need to confirm it, Elena already knew.

"Did you end up seeing Tyler this weekend?"

She sighed at having been caught. "No... I canceled on him. I feel horrible about it, but he's not ready to come back yet and I don't even know where my head is at."

Elena's eyebrows were nearly in her hairline. She had known there was something brewing between her friend and the rebellious Original, but she hadn't thought Caroline would go so far as to act on it... especially not after everything that happened the last few months. "Are you saying you might have feelingsfor Klaus?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms up. "It's not like I want to like him like that! I try to make myself think about all the awful things he's done... but I can't make myself hate him, because I think he's just misunderstood. Really, really, misunderstood."

The other girl had to make a conscious effort to keep her mouth from gaping open. Somehow hearing Caroline so flustered about it made it worse. "Care, you're talking about him like he's just the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks or something. He's tried to kill all of us at one point or another, and who knows how many innocent people he has murdered!"

"But... well, it's hard for you to understand because you're not a vampire, Elena. You can't, as long as you're human. It's different when you've turned." She sighed again at her friend's hurt expression. "I'm not trying to be mean... but he's lived for a long time with a condition he didn't choose after a supremely fucked up childhood. I know he probably should have dealt with it by now, but he's finally trying to make an effort… I think." She bit at her lip at her friend's skeptical expression, nervously adding, "And look at Damon. He still hasn't gotten his crap together, either."

Elena sighed, muttering, "Tell me about it."

They trudged across the grass silently, Caroline embarrassed and Elena working up another angle of protest in her mind when she stopped dead in her tracks. Caroline glanced at her, confused, before following her gaze.

Then she smirked.

"Looks like your secret admirer has arrived," she whispered in Elena's ear, with a little too much glee for the latter's liking. "I'll see you later." Then she headed off into the parking lot without more than a squeeze on the girl's arm and a wave to the mystery man, leaving Elena to face him alone.

Elijah smiled from where he leaned against his car, one hand in his pocket. With the other, he lowered his sunglasses. "Would you care to join me for a drive, Miss Gilbert?"

She stood stunned. She hadn't expected to see him now, waiting for her. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smirk, and the whoops and chatter of her classmates fell away as they passed around her to their own cars. She could only focus on him, and the fact that he was really standing in front of her. He'd come back.

"Of course," Elena said, once she found her voice, her smile matching his as she approached him.

He held out his hand and she took it. She inhaled softly when their flesh met, not having touched him since the night she fell forward into his arms, stabbing him as he embraced her. They'd come full circle now, saving each other rather than sacrificing one another. Elijah's face softened as he looked down at her, almost wistfully. For a second she wondered if he might kiss her, just something about his gaze that she couldn't put her finger on... it was similar to the way he'd looked at her when they were together at the ball, and she licked at her lips nervously. But then he opened the car door and gestured her inside.

They were silent at first while he drove, and she had a feeling he was just as uncertain and nervous as she was right now - that while he'd had to see her, he wasn't quite sure where to begin. Not that his demeanor revealed that now - it was as enigmatic as ever as he guided the car along country routes, the afternoon sun adding reddish highlights to his hair.

Elijah must have sensed her gaze upon him, though, because he smirked, glancing to her. "You'd asked me to visit next time when you were awake."

She felt her cheeks flush. It was easier to be forward when hiding behind the keypad of a phone. "It was just… I had thought you were gone, for good. And when you revealed you weren't, well - I wanted to see you."

"Yes," he said. "The fact that I missed you as well - it's partly why I returned."

His eyes focused upon her now as he turned her admission back to her as his own, and she shifted awkwardly in her seat.

"Even if I couldn't bring myself to face you, I can't leave you to your own devices, at the mercy of my brother or the other evil that lurks here because of us. I've come to realize that, Elena. So long as we both walk the earth, I'm with you."

"Watching over," she murmured, and he nodded. She felt a surge of an emotion in her chest as she looked at him, almost like infatuation, but not quite. It was complex and difficult to describe, it made her both relieved to be near him and yet nervous with butterflies twirling through her stomach. And the urge to touch him again was overwhelming, as though she still couldn't believe he was right here in front of her. She reached forward to place her hand upon his arm. But he moved as she did, so her hand was within his again. And he didn't let go.

The gesture was enough to overload her mind into a spiral upon itself of thinking maybe he felt similarly. The Salvatores were prone to acting irrationally and impulsively, but Elijah was a man of great control. If he felt something toward her and had decided to act upon it, Elena felt powerless to stop him. But the thought of ever becoming involved with another vampire was unnerving, because as the days passed she was certain she needed to distance herself from them all if she were ever going to have a shot at a normal life. And yet… this dance that she'd been drawn into with Elijah, since day one… she had to know the outcome.

That sent her head into a further dizzy spin, and she looked away with a gasp, pulling her hand from his. She didn't miss the nanosecond of bewilderment on his face, but why was she even thinking this way about Elijah? They were friends... since when was it anything more than idle banter and flirtation on her part, and chivalry on his? And even if she wanted it to be so... wait, did she? Oh God, was she falling for him?

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I-"

"It's alright," he replied, offering a small tight smile.

"My mind - I think I'm losing it." She laughed nervously. The car felt too warm now, stuffy, and she stripped off her cardigan, her arms bare in a cap-sleeved tee. She opened her window a crack, feeling better with the breeze on her face, and she tried to relax her breathing. "So... where are we headed?"

"Dinner. A way to sneak back in your good graces, perhaps?"

"You were never out of them," she reminded him softly. "I'd forgiven you before I even left the tomb… not that I'm sure I ever blamed you in the first place."

"It was still abhorrent behavior… you could have died, Elena," he said.

"Or you could have. I don't think I could have lived with that. It's too complicated to point fingers…" She paused. "Is it terrible that even though I feel bad about Bonnie's mom, I'm not totally sorry because it means you're still alive?"

He shrugged silently, his conscience not eased by her proclamations. She sighed and curled into her seat, gazing at the spring scenery as it passed.

"Where did you go?" she asked eventually. "When you left, I mean."

"Romania. I have a friend there, Grigore. He's a gypsy and a witch, who specializes in black magic."

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, curious. "Really?"

He nodded. "He is one of the few who has studied magic as ancient as my mother's, and he's translated numerous manuscripts. He was the only one capable of incapacitating the daggers."

"So they're gone," she said. "Klaus can't hold them over your head anymore. That must be a relief."

"Yes. Or it was, for a short time anyway." He sighed, his eyes troubled. "We have to stop my mother, Elena."

She gave him a confused look. "Bonnie's mother is a vampire now, and there's no more Bennett mothers and daughters. She can't carry out the spell… can she?"

"Unfortunately… yes. There's an upcoming lunar eclipse, on the night of the next full moon. She will have enough power then."

His jaw tightened, a subtle sign of his inner distress. He began to share the information he'd given Bonnie a few nights earlier, explaining how it would erase the history of vampires and their actions.

"It would kill all of us, if we are linked and destroyed by her," he added, "since she is the one who made us into what we are. And it would erase you, and Bonnie. It would be a catastrophic event, one that couldn't be resolved because the ones who set it in motion would be dead or simply not have existed."

"But how are you going to stop her?" Elena asked, after taking a moment to process. It bothered her a bit that she was almost desensitized now. Finding out such nightmares could become reality was a common enough occurrence in her world that it barely stopped her in her tracks anymore.

"Grigore will be arriving soon. But I have to find Finn, and Bonnie needs to separate our connection first. Then, Grigore will be able to help us. He's researching right now."

"And the next full moon, with the eclipse? When is that?" She swallowed, feeling her mouth go dry at the thought of not existing. She imagined that would somehow be a more torturous end than death.

And Elijah looked almost apologetic at the sound of her heart racing. "Two weeks."

"I'll help you."

"It's not going to be easy, Elena," he warned. "There may be casualties anyway. And we have to figure out how to send my mother back to the other side permanently. It's not as simple as destroying her human form."

"I know, but I want to do it," she insisted, determination in her voice. "Nothing in my life has been easy for the last year and a half. I'm almost… used to it. At least let me help you."

"I..." He exhaled slowly, and she could see how conflicted he was. "You cannot die for her. Whatever happens."

"No. And... you can't, either."

She felt her heart pound as his eyes focused on her, that understanding between them deepening. She could see him wrestling with his emotions, and her mind flitted back to the day at Lockwood Manor. When he'd admitted in so many words that he'd cared about Katherine. Was he making that mistake again?

He didn't say anything, but she felt the car slow and Elena looked away from him, out the window. She was relieved to see they were at their destination and thankful for the distraction. She didn't know if she was ready yet to acknowledge exactly what this was between them. When she stepped out of the car, he was at her side with his hand under her elbow to guide her into the restaurant. Her bare flesh tingled at his touch, and she felt his hand move to the small of her back as they waited for the hostess to seat them. She didn't miss the knowing glance the woman gave Elijah before leading them outside to a table overlooking the bay. Her attention was initially captured by the sun in its orange and pink sky, lazy above the horizon. She always loved late afternoon by the sea, the sky's mirror image reflected upon the water, a doubly breathtakingsight. She sat down, glancing back to him with a smile, but then she noticed the bouquet upon the table.

Red tipped yellow roses. She quickly scanned the other tables... none had them, except theirs.

"The roses," she murmured as her eyes focused back upon him. "Elijah..."

He smiled. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"

"Yes... just as beautiful as the one you left me." Elena crossed her arms awkwardly. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

"I'm not quite sure what you're getting at..."

And to be fair, he did look perplexed. She sighed, irritated with herself for letting her head get wrapped up in all of the speculation fueled by one certain bubbly blonde. "Never mind, it's stupid."

He smirked. "Well, I think you have to tell me now."

Her skin turned twenty shades of red as she realized there was no getting out of it. Her mouth opened a couple of times before she could get the words out in the least embarrassing manner possible. "It's just... Caroline saw the rose, and she said... I guess, supposedly,a yellow rose with reddish tips like these means that a friend is falling in love with you. I told her she's crazy," she muttered at the end.

"Hmmm. Interesting." He leaned forward now, his eyes glinting in the sun. He took a rose from the vase and handed it to her, his fingers lingering against hers. "And what if that were the sentiment, Elena? What would you say then?"

Her eyes widened as he stared at her. She hadn't expected to be put on the spot, though perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised, as it appeared to be a half admission on his part. "Is that what it meant?" she asked cautiously.

He only smiled as he settled back into his chair. Their waiter, David, was at the table now, pouring Chardonnay into a pair of glasses. Her fingers fiddled with the medallion at her neck, and Elijah gazed the slender column of her throat as he took the first sip. She collected herself as Elijah and David discussed the menu, not really paying attention to what they were ordering, only nodding when Elijah looked to her for approval. Then the young man walked away, leaving the bottle of wine on the table.

"You should try it, unless you'd prefer something else," Elijah commented as he refilled his glass.

Elena took a small sip even though she was tempted to down the whole bottle and let her inhibitions go. But she was also wary of letting the alcohol cloud her judgment, especially as their conversation took more twists and turns. Her mouth still felt dry as she went to speak.

"Is that what you meant?" she asked again.

"Would it matter?" he questioned back. "Would it change anything between us?"

"Maybe," she whispered.

He squinted thoughtfully, looking at her as he set his glass on the table. "If I were a more honorable man, I wouldn't even ask you to ponder it. I shouldn't expect a young woman with such a bright future to even entertain the thought of a romance with me."

"You are honorable," she insisted quietly, though she knew he could hear her heart racing. He could probably hear the imaginary butterflies fluttering through her stomach like a tornado, too.

"No, Elena. I am just selfish," he answered.

Then so am I, she thought. If she weren't, she would have let it go. She wouldn't have subconsciously pressed for him to admit feelings that she suspected might be there. She would have let them exist as they had, without tainting their friendship with that which now could never be unsaid or un-known.

Elena was careful about what more to say, because while she wanted it to happen, it also meant her hopes for a normal life were floating away before her eyes.

But… maybe normalcy wasn't meant for her. It was meant for people like Matt, her classmates, her brother. She was realizing that her birthright surrounded her with all that was unnatural, supernatural, macabre… not the life with a white picket fence and a chubby smiling baby on her hip, at least not without an epic fight, one that might possibly kill her. Her heart ached at the admission, the loss of what she wouldn't have if she gave in to what was likely her fate. But it also ached at the thought of letting this opportunity with Elijah go, instead settling someday for a man who would love her less just to have a simple existence.

"I shouldn't have returned," Elijah admitted, her silence unnerving him. "It's not fair to you, to burden you with this."

"Is that why you left?" she asked. "Because of how you feel about me?"

He didn't answer, and she bit at the inside of her cheek, her eyes burning with tears. She wanted to be upset with him for turning her mind upside down, for stirring up the questions she realized now that she'd been actively ignoring. But she could see how troubled he was by all of this, how he pushed the walls back into place. So she reluctantly let it go.

Their dinner passed initially in silence, transitioning later into polite conversation and her gazing at the boats on the water. The food was delicious but she couldn't bring herself to eat very much, her stomach knotted. She did drink the wine, however; the cloudiness in her head was a pleasant distraction from the awkwardness. Elijah became similarly relaxed by the alcohol, as he started to tell her stories of how they traveled here on the sea, landing near this very shore when they arrived from Europe. She couldn't fathom how much the world and the landscape had changed in one thousand years, and the thought of living that long made her belly flip-flop. Elena also couldn't imagine giving up the life she knew to live in an unknown place, a largely wild and unsettled world. And then her mind drifted to Tatia, her ancestor, and the curiosity as to how she came to live here also. Damon had shared bits of the story with her, as much as he knew from Klaus and Elijah, just enough to leave her insanely curious about the rest. But she didn't dare ask now… their mood had finally eased, she didn't want to make it awkward again.

The sun had skimmed halfway below the horizon when Elijah set his napkin on the table, and she knew it was time to go. He placed her cardigan over her shoulders when they stood, and she followed him back to the car. She dozed on the way back to Mystic Falls as the dim sunlight faded into dusk, lucidly sensing his hand upon her as he brushed her hair out of her face. But she didn't fully wake until the car stopped in front of her house.

The lights were on downstairs and she saw Alaric's SUV in the driveway. She hoped he wasn't too worried… she prepared herself for the earful she might get when she headed inside. She glanced at her phone quickly, but there were no missed calls. Elijah appeared at her door and helped her out, and they walked to the porch stairs. She turned to face him, and she gave him a sleepy smile.

"Thank you," she said. He became rigid as she reached up and hugged him. But after a few moments, his self-control wavered and his arms tightened around her, her mouth near his ear as he squeezed her form against his. She sighed as she breathed in his subtle cologne. "Please don't stay away. I would miss you. And what we discussed earlier…"

His dark eyes stared into hers after he pulled away, after her voice trailed off. "I overstepped tonight. We are friends, Elena. But anything more… it can't happen. I can't let you allow yourself to become wrapped up in this life any further."

"But what if… what if it's what I decided I wanted?"

He drew in a deep breath, grimacing as he braced himself against what she was suggesting. She could nearly see his walls reinforced as the moments passed, until he whispered, "Good night, my dear."

His eyes darkened and then he leaned down, his lips upon her cheek. She closed her eyes at the sensation. And when she opened them again, he was already inside his car. She crossed her arms, her eyes burning with unshed tears of frustration as she stood there. He looked at her one last time before he drove away.


	6. Chapter 6

"Don't think I didn't see who dropped you off."

Alaric was sitting on the couch, feet up on the ottoman as he pointed the remote at the TV and flicked through the channels. He didn't even look at Elena. It was like he had eyes in the back of his head - he was turning more and more into her fifth parent every day.

She stopped, rubbing her hands over her face again. She didn't want him to see the tear stains.

"Yeah... he took me out to dinner, to apologize."

"Don't trust him, Elena." He looked at her over the back of the sofa, his expression entirely too knowing for her liking. "He's not Damon. He won't hesitate to use you as a pawn in whatever battle he's planning against his mother. You don't need to risk your life again."

She frowned. "He doesn't want me involved."

"Good."

"But I didn't give him a choice."

He cursed under his breath. "You never make it easy, do you?" he asked, though they both knew it was a rhetorical question.

Elena would have been offended if it weren't for the grudging respect in his eyes. She wondered if he saw any of Isobel in her, as she was before she turned. She didn't like to think her vampire mother was always selfish, and more and more lately she suspected that Isobel's choice was closely tied to protecting her from Klaus. But she hadn't brought that theory up to Ric, because it made her feel guilty. She had indirectly destroyed his marriage and then indirectly caused the death of his girlfriend by carrying out the sacrifice, for nothing. And to add insult to injury, she still trusted Elijah. Which she was sure Ric wasn't happy about, at all, despite her justifications.

"I have to be involved," she said after a moment. "I'm at the root of this, and if they don't take Esther down, I die anyway. Everything related to vampires or their actions at any point in history will be erased. I won't exist. The world won't be a pretty place."

His mouth set into a grim line.

"Bonnie's already on board," she added softly. She knew that would lend credibility to the cause, if the witch was suspending her hatred of vampires long enough to form an alliance with the Originals.

He let out a long sigh as he pinched at the center of his brow, squinting as though all of this made his head physically hurt. And it probably did, it was a lot to digest in a few minutes' time. When he looked at her again, though, she could see he had retreated into acceptance. Maybe because after a year's time, he knew she was nearly unstoppable once her mind was set.

"Just... be careful," he pleaded.

"I will," she assured him.

"And you know I'm not letting you do this alone." She looked surprised, and he shrugged. "You're the only family I've got, Elena. I'll do everything I can to be sure you survive. Just like your aunt, and your mother."

She knew he was talking about Isobel then, not Miranda - confirming her suspicions, as it was now clear he had come to the same conclusion about his late wife. Elena nodded, feeling the lump return in her throat. She couldn't say anything else for fear of breaking down. Instead she turned away from him and headed up the stairs.

oOo

Elijah stood in the middle of his room, his fist against his forehead and glass shards from the large gilded mirror at his feet. He rarely lost control, but tonight... it was too much.

Why had he let himself go there? Why did he open himself to hours alone with her? He was a fool to think his resolve could withstand her in that situation. And then to flirt with the idea of broaching his feelings for her, her feelings for him, edging along the boundaries of friendship and lovers by presenting her with the roses, by confirming what he meant... and then when he moved to reign himself back in, she wouldn't let him. She almost dragged him over, he barely stopped himself -

The door to his room creaked open. Klaus leaned against the doorframe, surveying the damage. "Petrova trouble, I presume."

Elijah wasn't in the mood. "Nothing to discuss with you, Niklaus." His tone was short and he kept his back to his brother.

"Fine, just thought you might appreciate an ear. " Klaus sighed. "She's snuck under your skin, despite your denials."

Elijah glanced at him over his shoulder. "How would you know?"

"Let's just say," Klaus began, walking forward and settling his hand upon his brother's shoulder, "I've found myself in a bit of a similar situation."

"I thought you gave up on love a long time ago."

Klaus's expression was troubled now, perhaps by his changing mindset, and Elijah found his curiosity piqued. "I suppose I was naive to think we could remain immune forever," he allowed.

Images of a blonde vampire at the ball and his brother's mesmerized expression came to mind. An expression Elijah hadn't seen as the result of a woman in a long time. "Caroline."

Klaus sighed and he took that as confirmation.

"Does she… return your affection?"

"Not yet. But I have hope, brother. And, she's agreed to help persuade the Bennett witch... to deactivate the spell of the white oak." A crooked smirk graced his face now, the guards back up.

Elijah squinted as he studied the other vampire. The subject of love was a sore one between them, ever since Tatia… the last woman Klaus professed to love. He glanced at the scattered glass at his feet, his chest tightening as he also remembered the row that occurred between them when they found out she shared their affections and how both brothers swore they wouldn't step back.

Their mother had been so distraught then... as time passed, he realized Esther must have seen herself in Tatia and her own indiscretions with Klaus's real father. And she sought to end the source of the feud before her sons could end each other. Somehow Elijah was more horrified now at her actions than he had been then - perhaps because he had come to see how cold and self-absorbed his mother truly was. Perhaps because she didn't have the guise of a supernatural curse to hide behind when she chose to murder Tatia, and to feed them her blood in the transformation. It was an action purely driven by fury and jealousy, vengeance. Qualities that he saw amplified in Klaus after he became a vampire, but that their mother held in equal measure while still human.

Klaus glanced at his watch, his voice interrupting his memories. "In fact, she should be with Bonnie as we speak. She told me they were meeting up this evening. Setting the plan into motion. Cross your fingers – tomorrow might be the beginning of a brighter future. "

Elijah gave a tight smile. "Yes, hopefully a great deal will be sorted by the time I return with Finn."

"And when did you decide you're retrieving him?"

"I'm leaving for Montreal in the morning. Kol's on his way back as well, so that we will all be here and ready when Grigore arrives." He glanced back at the broken mirror at his feet. "Which means I need to tend to this mess and turn in for the night."

He moved to brush past Klaus into the hallway but his brother blocked him, the slightest hint of compassion in his blue eyes. He rested his hand upon Elijah's shoulder. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

Elijah knew he was referring to Elena, and his jaw set tight, exasperation close to the surface. He didn't need much encouragement to go after Elena. It wouldn't take much to wear him down enough to give in to his impulses.

"And what do you suggest, Niklaus? Should I let my emotions run wild? Do nothing to curb my desire to devour her, despite the fact that I know none of my intentions are in her best interest? Just give in, and burn us both?"

Klaus's face took on a thoughtful intensity. "You can't fight the fight for everyone, Elijah. And sometimes... it is better to burn. To let go."

He patted Elijah upon the shoulder and then he left the room. Elijah was now alone with his thoughts again, which could prove to be dangerous. Because if Klaus's opinion of love was changing, then maybe he himself shouldn't be so persistent in pushing Elena away. Not when she was the first to make him feel this way in several centuries. Or ever, if he were to be truly honest. He had been immune to her external beauty, both Tatiana and Katerina hardening him against that face. But her inner grace and strength... that was what captured him. Ruined him.

He drew in a shaky sigh as he stopped himself from entertaining the idea any more. Despite what she professed she wanted, he needed to be strong, wise... he needed to save her from him, and herself. Because he would ruin her.

oOo

Caroline stood at the counter, scooping ice cream next to the brownies Bonnie had just pulled from the oven. They were at Abby's house, and everyone else had retreated for the night. Abby seemed to be adjusting okay after a couple of rough weeks. Caroline felt guilty that she hadn't been around as much as she had promised, and that hers and Bonnie's first time hanging out since the night her mom turned was overshadowed by her ulterior motives.

Klaus's ulterior motives, she reminded herself. For Elena's and Tyler's benefits.

But it was getting harder to ignore that she also worried about Klaus. Maybe she cared for him a little... maybe she even wanted to give things a chance. She couldn't ignore the attraction between them. And she enjoyed being around him, if she let herself. He was charismatic, flattering, smart, funny... misunderstood. The explanation that Elena accepted because of herown vampire turmoil wouldn't fly with Bonnie, though, and she was quickly losing her appetite. Still, she followed Bonnie into the living room with bowl in hand, and they settled onto the sofa.

Bonnie turned on the TV, flicking through the stations for a Friday night feature. She glanced at her friend.

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm?" Caroline hoped she hadn't noticed her jump. "Nothing, why?"

"You haven't touched your brownie yet, and you've been preoccupied all night. Just spill it, Caroline."

Bonnie's eyebrow arched and Caroline sighed. Going into the conversation with Bonnie already suspicious wasn't good. Not if she was trying to convince her to let their version of the Antichrist off the hook. She shifted nervously and set her bowl on the coffee table.

"Okay… promise you won't get mad?"

Now both eyebrows were up. "Don't tell me this has to do with Klaus. I already have my hands full with Original troubles. And I'm not doing any of this to save hisass, just so you know."

"Well," she began meekly, with an apologetic grimace. "It has to do with the white ash oak."

"What about it?" Bonnie countered, eyes narrowed.

"It still exists-"

"Yeah, I know. Emily made sure of that."

"What?" Caroline stopped, caught off-guard from her semi-rehearsed speech.

Bonnie's mouth pursed in a bit of attitude. "She planted the idea in Jonathan Gilbert's mind before she died, well before they started plans for the bridge. That's where the white oak is. For safekeeping."

Caroline's mouth formed an 'o' and Bonnie looked smug on her ancestor's behalf. She had to admit it was a good idea – who would look in a bridge? Except now they were renovating the bridge…

"Are you collecting the scraps?" she asked, and Bonnie gave a quixotic shrug.

"Someone is," was the witch's reply, and Caroline nodded. Insurance for the future.

"So you know about the oak too, then," Caroline continued awkwardly. "And of course it's a concern to them. They don't want to die. Klaus wants to make a deal with you, to deactivate its power against them."

"And what makes you think I can do that? If I even wanted to, that is."

"Because Ayana is the one who helped their mother curse the tree." Caroline looked at her hopefully, trying to keep her tone calm despite Bonnie's nonplussed expression and crossed arms. "I get that you don't want to leave them invincible. I know you feel like you can't trust him. But he's promised to release Tyler from the sire bond. And he will leave Elena alone and stop making hybrids, if you help him."

"I can't." The response was knee-jerk quick, and Bonnie shrugged as the other girl's face fell. "I'm sorry, Caroline… I wish I could, but I can't trust him. I can't undo the spell and leave not just us, but future generations vulnerable. I'm not going to be here to keep the Originals in line, to keep him from going after Elena's descendants, when he decides he's tired of keeping his promise. And you will still be weaker than him. I'm not going to make them any more powerful than they already are."

Caroline's cheeks flushed hot, and she bit at the inside corner of her lip, nodding subtly, even though she was beyond disappointed. "Okay," she whispered eventually. "I just thought… maybe… for Elena, and Tyler…"

Bonnie's face softened at how distressed Caroline apparently was by her immediate refusal, the fact that she didn't seem she would budge even for her best friends. She let out a long sigh. "There's only one way I would do it."

The blonde's eyes lit up, but she remained silent as she waited for Bonnie to continue.

"I've been reading in the grimoire, trying to help my mom out… there's a way to turn vampires back to human. Esther was going to do it the night that we were with her. But… it has to start with the Originals. They have to turn human first, then the vampires in their bloodline can be turned back."

"Then the white oak wouldn't matter."

"Exactly. There wouldn't be any more Original vampires. And something about the spell cancels out the werewolf gene in vampires, hybrids, who turn back. It also prevents vampires from turning anyone else. The vampire population would be contained."

"I dunno, Bonnie. I mean, I'd give anything to be human again. But it would leave them vulnerable, on top of having a finite lifetime."

"I realize that. I'd be willing to make it so that they don't die until they're well into old-age. No freak accidents, no former or current vampires after them… none of that." Bonnie shruggedagain. "You might be surprised… some of them would probably be intrigued after a thousand years, maybe they'd be able to persuade the others. But those are my terms. Nothing less."

Caroline swallowed. "Alright. I'll talk to Klaus… I'll let you know?"

"Of course. We still have Esther to deal with anyway."

Caroline nodded as her friend turned back to the channel guide, effectively ending the discussion. She sank back into the sofa pillows, barely paying attention to what Bonnie chose. All she could think about was how she was ever going to get Klaus to agree.

oOo

Elijah shut the door to his bedroom, his bag in his hand. His footsteps echoed on the marble floors as he headed into the hallway. It was early, not even eight o'clock. His siblings remained in their rooms, and his heightened hearing told him he was the only one awake at this hour. But that was just as well. He preferred to get out of this home, this town, into the car where he would be alone and he could think. The rest was too claustrophobic at the moment.

He was preoccupied as he reached the entryway and when he opened the door, he almost ran headfirst into the one who was making the walls close in. He stopped on a dime, smoothing his demeanor in a split second. But by the way her eyes widened, the way her breath caught and she then swallowed, he could tell she'd noticed.

"Elena," he said coolly. "What brings you here at this hour?"

He fixed her with a stare, and she stammered at first. "Wh-where are you going?" she asked, glancing the bag in his hand. There was apprehension in her eyes.

"To find my brother. I'll be gone for a couple of days."

"I'm coming with you."

The words spilled forth and Elena initially appeared as alarmed as he felt. But she straightened quickly, her chin rising with determination. It was a look he remembered from centuries before, on two identical faces. He could see she was ready to fight against any protest he made. And Klaus's words from the night before resounded in his mind as his resolve wavered.

"Alright," he answered quietly.

They were going to burn.


	7. Chapter 7

Three hours on the road, and they'd mostly sat in an awkward silence. It was occasionally interspersed with snippets of conversation here and there - usually her commenting on the landmarks they passed - which left her wondering why she had insisted upon tagging along. He wasn't rude, not at all, but he clearly didn't know how to be around her after last night. So he stayed quiet.

Except when she felt his gaze upon her, when she was looking elsewhere. Her flesh literally tingled. She wondered how his hands would feel upon her skin, his mouth... she reached up and tugged at the medallion at her neck, grounding herself in reality. He cleared his throat and she blushed. Did he know what she was thinking? Was he as distracted as she was? She snuck a glance in his direction. That face - dark hair, dark eyes, mouth gently curved in a pout as he stared at the road - revealed nothing. She sighed inwardly.

"So," she said eventually. "Are we looking for Finn tonight?"

"No," Elijah answered, his tone preoccupied. "We will stop for the night just before the border and finish our trip in the morning."

"Oh." Her voice was small.

He looked amused now. "What's wrong, Miss Gilbert? Nervous about sharing a room with me?"

"No," she answered quickly, earning a glance from him. "Are you nervous about spending the night with me?"

He cocked his head to the side, her choice of phrasing apparently cutting under his skin ever so slightly.

"No," he said after a moment. "Why would I be worried about a human girl?"

"I don't know. But you are. See?" She lifted the medallion with her right hand. "Proof."

"That's guilt, Elena. That I let you down."

Her mouth tightened. "So I'm your charity case."

"No. You're my friend."

She inhaled deeply, nodding though inside she was hurt, irritated. Yes, just a friend - she'd obviously misread the rose, the necklace, the flirty comments and burning looks, she thought sarcastically. But she also realized he was as stubborn as he was honorable, that it wouldn't be worth it to push it any further right now. Instead she pulled her journal from her bag. Writing would clear her mind while she waited for him to give in to what she had realized last night. There was a connection between them, and it was useless to ignore it. They owed it to each other to figure out what it meant, what it could be.

She saw him eye her again as she flipped the hard cover open. She let her hair hide her face as her pen scratched upon the page.

oOo

Caroline ran nimble fingers through her wavy hair, fluffing here and smoothing there, before she rang the doorbell. She stood at the large front door of the Mikaelson estate and as she waited, she mused over what a surreal turn her life had taken in the last year. It seemed like one day she was a human girl, curled up on the worn sofa in Matt's house, not wanting for anyone else ever… then the next she was a vampire, entangled more and more every day in a tug of war between two hybrids. But as nostalgic as she was for Matt and the comparatively easy days of humanity, she wasn't sure she would choose to go back to that. This excitement seemed to be the missing puzzle piece from her human life. And she sort of hated herself for enjoying it. It made her feel... a little bit shallow.

The door quietly opened and Rebekah was before her, a scowl painted upon her face.

"Look what the cat dragged in."

Klaus appeared behind her, taking the door from her and shooing her away. Caroline bit her lip to hold in a smile. Somehow, it was endearing to see him - a thousand year old vampire - flustered because of his little sister.

"Why don't you run along if you can't be nice?" he admonished.

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Why don't you roll your tongue back into your mouth and try acting a little less obvious? You're just as pathetic as Elijah."

She turned on her heel with crossed arms, but she took her time walking away, intrigued by her brother's infatuation in spite of herself. Klaus looked to the ground with a grimace, resisting the urge to snap back at her. After he recovered, he looked back up at Caroline.

"I'm sorry for her rude behavior. She's just jealous."

Caroline gave him a sympathetic smile. "It's okay. I'm actually getting sort of used to it."

They both chuckled, and her stomach fluttered at the way his eyes lit up. Her face flushed, and she looked at him shyly.

"Well, come inside," he said, moving to the side and gesturing forward. She stepped over the threshold, and he leaned in near her ear. "Kol is back as well...I intend to keep him in line, but I apologize in advance."

She nodded as they continued into the grand foyer. "And Elijah?" she asked, figuring that the elder Mikaelson would be mindful of the other two as well.

"He left this morning to get Finn, for the ritual." He paused and looked at her. "I thought you would have known that. Elena went with him."

Caroline's eyes widened. "Noooo… I guess she forgot to tell me." She bristled with annoyance at being left out of the loop. "I just hope she's safe."

Klaus smirked. "Oh, come on now. Elijah would never let any harm come to her. And Finn… well, his self-loathing makes him harmless."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'd agree except Elijah didn't hesitate to threaten killing her just a few weeks ago-"

"Which would have never happened. You and I both know that. It was just a show to get the witches to back off. He would have killed Rebekah for laying a finger upon her." He settled his hands on her upper arms. "I also threatened to kill you for the sacrifice, love, and yet here we are."

Her mouth clamped shut, her brain spinning as those deep blue eyes stared back at her. That was something that was always in the back of her mind from when he begain showing an interest in her… how could he have been ready to sacrifice her to break the curse yet profess that he fancied her just a few months later? It made her suspect that she and Tyler were only bait, to use Jenna and Jules instead, but she hadn't ever addressed it with him because she was nervous to know the truth. Just how long hadhe paid attention to her?

His mouth turned up in a smug smile. "Not quite the monster you thought I was."

She swallowed, unnerved by his vague confirmation. "So you weren't going to kill me that night."

He shook his head slowly, then his hands left her skin and he straightened. She blinked a few times, breaking the trance she felt like he'd cast. If she weren't on vervain, she'd wonder if she were compelled. It was easier to suspect mind control than to admit his own inherent charisma caused everything else around her to fall away.

"The courtyard?" he suggested, changing the subject. "We can talk in private there. I assume you're here because of last night."

"Yes," she answered, and his hand lightly settled upon her lower back as he guided her down the corridor.

They headed out onto the paved walkway, shaded with vines growing over a latticed iron "ceiling." There were blooms all around and a huge tree grew in the center, a bench curved around its base. The elegant colors and exotic greenery left her feeling like she was anywhere but Mystic Falls. Either the Mikaelsons flew in a renowned landscaping maven or one of them had another trick up their sleeve. She was still in awe when he sat upon the bench, patting the spot next to him.

"It's gorgeous," she told him honestly. "You have excellent taste."

"I like to think so," he answered, and then he grinned. She laughed, gazing around again. He gave her a few moments, enjoying just her company, before he steered the conversation forward. "So your witch friend…"

"Yeah, that," she said, sighing, and his face turned serious at her own troubled expression. "It didn't go quite as planned. She kind of threw a curveball at me."

"But she didn't say no?" Klaus looked hopeful, leaning forward in nervous anticipation.

"Not exactly. She proposed something else altogether."

Caroline tried to reign in her anxiousness. She was worried over his reaction, and she didn't want to let herself hope for something that he probably wouldn't agree to. Because even though she didn't want to slip right back into her old life, she could see turning human as an opportunity to take this newfound confidence with her, to give a future human self a new outlook and a new path to follow. She didn't really want to live forever. She wanted some of the things everyone wanted, and she didn't want to be left behind when her friends and family died. She didn't want to live at the outskirts of society and in the shadows, forced to move on when it became apparent she never aged.

She took a deep breath, jumping right in. "She wants you – all of you – to turn human."

He settled back slowly, staring at her, silent. His face revealed nothing beyond shock, and she shifted, uncomfortable as he remained quiet for a few minutes. Her mind reeled over what to say, how to ease the blow, but in the end she decided that there really was nothing else for her to offer, not until she knew where his mind was at on the matter.

"That's… unexpected," he said eventually.

"I know." She swallowed before rambling on. "But it's kind of her way of balancing out nature completely. Her conscience won't let her make you all invincible. And you guys have to be first because you're the start of the entire race. If you're all human, it gives every other vampire have the opportunity to become human again, if they want. Like her mom."

He shook his head. "I know Finn and Elijah would likely agree in a heartbeat, but I… I cannot."

"No?" she asked in a small, disappointed voice.

His eyes were conflicted, his expression complex. "I don't know."

She shrugged. "I know it seems short compared to eternity, but you might die anyway… it's not like she's going to agree to lift the curse on the wood if you reject her offer. It doesn't work like that."

"I'll destroy the wood, Caroline," he snapped as he jumped up aggressively, his jaw clenched.

"You can try, but it's always going to regenerate at some point. And witches have ways of making sure this stuff is community knowledge, even a thousand years later."

He rubbed at his brow, her arguments forcing him to face that which she knew he wanted to ignore.

"But she promised to make it so that you won't die by some fluke at, like, forty or something," she continued gently. "You'd get to grow old. And you could have all the things a vampire can't, like a family and friends… you wouldn't have to hide that you're different and you wouldn't be ruled by this hunger for blood and human life… you could set it right, everything that your parents messed up by making you turn."

Klaus looked at the ground and her heart sank for him, seeing the man behind the creature he'd become, the one who'd been let down over and over again.

"I know you want to be normal," she added. "Even in making all of these hybrids, and all of the horror you cause… at the end of the day, it's really because you want those things too. I don't expect you to admit it to me today, you don't have to. But… I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that there wouldn't be a chance between us, because you decided against it."

She reached forward and squeezed his hand, and he finally looked at her. "I would give up a lot for that chance, Caroline. But this is more than a cut and dry yes or no."

She could see him wrestling within himself, and the expression on his face was almost overwhelming. She was asking him to give up that which he had adapted to for the last thousand years, to go back to something which he probably barely remembered… something he may not fit into anymore. But Caroline wanted to remind him.

She stood up now, and he appeared confused, curious. She gave him a small smile as she rolled up onto her toes, and his pupils dilated as she leaned in. His lips were the last thing she focused on before she closed her eyes, before she kissed him.

She felt and heard his soft exhale and her lips parted to catch his again. Soft and sweet, and light as his lips moved against hers, she allowed herself to melt against him. She was surprised byhow gentle it was, even with how upset he had been seconds earlier. Eventually, she fought herself to pull away, before things got too heated. She didn't trust her self control, not around him.

"Promise you'll think about it?" she asked.

He appeared as though he were in a daze as he nodded.

"Okay." Caroline smiled. She pressed a final kiss upon his mouth before she turned away, and she heard Klaus sigh as she left the courtyard.

oOo

Elijah was sitting in a lounge chair in the corner of their room when Elena came out of the bathroom. His jacket was hung near the door, his shirt sleeves rolled up and a few buttons unbuttoned. She swallowed, his casual appearance stirring something within her.

They had stopped for the night in a small sleepy town in upstate New York, not more than an hour from the Canadian border. Their accommodations were in a rustic resort that was closed for the season, but Elijah compelled the owners to open up one of the cabins for the night. He'd compensated them fairly for the trouble, and also compelled them to forget they'd ever seen either him or Elena.

She passed the windows as she approached him, glancing out at the dusky forest and Lake Champlain just beyond the A-frame structure. The room was warm and cozy compared to the chill of early northern spring, and it felt awkwardly romantic to see flames blazing in the stone fireplace.

"I ordered you pizza," he commented, but his eyes never left the fire.

"Thanks." She twirled her damp hair into a loose bun atop her head as she sat down on the sofa, near him. She picked up her bag from the floor, where it sat between them. "So did you snoop?"

He looked at her. "You should know I wouldn't invade your privacy, Elena. Though it sounds almost as if you wanted me to."

His eyebrow raised and her cheeks burned at his suggestion. But she only shrugged. "You seemed interested in what I was writing as you drove."

"Considering how tense things have been between us, you can understand my curiosity. Especially since you seemed more interested in your journal than my company."

His tone emphasized his irritation, and chills ran down her spine at the realization that perhaps she was getting under his skin. Which was exactly what she wanted, but at the same time it felt like she was playing with a ticking bomb.

"No," she replied quietly. "I wrote about you. How I feel about you. How I think you might feel about me."

He took a deep breath, looking away from her now. "You don't have to go into it, Elena."

"But why not?" She leaned forward onto the edge of her seat, nearly invading his personal space. Close enough that he couldn't ignore her. "I'm not just your friend, Elijah. I know you feel something more for me, like I feel for you. Why can't you admit that?"

His eyes burned intensely. "Because I don't want to have that influence on you, to keep you from the human life you're meant to have. I don't want this for you."

The weight of 'this' had loomed over her long enough. "How do you know that won't happen with Stefan or Damon? Do you think Damon would hesitate to turn me? He already tried once."

He shook his head, and he absently twirled his lapis ring around his finger. His voice was raw as he admitted, "They would be able to walk away before I could. They wouldn't be able to bring themselves to do it in the end."

"You don't know that," she countered. "And besides – what does it matter if it's what I want? If I asked you to turn me, would you refuse me? If I decided I wanted to spend eternity with you?"

"It will never happen," he muttered as he stood. "This conversation is over."

She jumped up to block his path to the door.

"Just let me leave, Elena." He avoided her gaze, staring off above her head in irritation.

"No."

Elijah sighed as he looked down at her, finally broken. "What do you want from me?" he murmured.

They were so close that she only needed to take a half step forward for their bodies to be touching. She swallowed, resisting the urge to reach up and run her finger over his lips. "An honest answer, of how you feel about me," she whispered back.

His inner battle was clear as day on his normally cryptic face, and she gasped in surprise when his arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand in her hair as he bridged the distance between them. He hesitated only a second, the desire in his eyes overwhelming her, before she felt his lips on hers.

Elena gripped his shirt as the kiss ignited everything that was pent up between them. She was trembling from a combination of nervousness and anticipation, shocking her system. His hands ran slowly over her form as their mouths moved together, his tongue passing her lips. She let outa little moan and she pulled Elijah closer when her knees started to feel like jelly. She wondered how he'd been able to keep this intensity under wraps for so long.

They separated after a few more moments, and his breathing was as shaky as hers. It surprised her – she affected him more than she'd thought.

"Elijah," she said. But he wouldn't meet her gaze and she started to panic.

"I can't do this," he said. The remorse in his eyes when he finally looked back to her knocked the air from her lungs. "I'm sorry, Elena."

The words left her stunned, and by the time she went to catch his hand he was already far out of her reach. The door slammed shut.

She didn't move.


	8. Chapter 8

She searched for Elijah at first, irrationally worried he may leave her there. Maybe she had pushed him too far over the edge. But she was too nervous to wander through the dark unfamiliar forest, now that she was aware of the things that went bump in the night. And she already knew it would be futile. Elijah didn't want to be found. At best, her search was an attempt to distract herself, to stave off the inevitable sorrow she would feel when she stilled.

But after a little while, as the cold night air bit down to the bone, Elena gave up.

And once she was back inside, alone under the covers in the loft, she allowed the tears to fall. The bed was enormous, which only made her feel lonelier. She hadn't bothered to lock the door because she knew Elijah was watching over, even if he wouldn't face her. And she tried to stay quiet, though she knew he could hear her regardless. But as hurt as she was, she didn't want him to feel bad. She had caused this. It wasn't enough for her to know he cared about her (even more deeply than she had imagined). No, she still had to break him, because she selfishly wanted him to lose control and give into her. He had supplanted himself in her life and in her mind, even when she wanted to ignore him and forget about him, and when it was uncomfortable to still defend him. It seemed fair to want to know the extent of his true feelings for her. Yet she only succeeded in pushing him away, all because she couldn't just let him come around in his own time.

Because he wouldn't have, she reminded herself truthfully, which left her ever so slightly indignant. He never would have allowed himself to express more than he had over dinner because it went directly against what he wanted for her.

And her mind played on repeat between her disappointment and the searing kiss, opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, until she drifted off. Elena didn't even realize she'd slept until she heard him whispering her name, calling to her. When she opened her eyes, sunlight streamed in through the triangular floor to ceiling windows, and she sat up with a start. She barely glanced at him from where he stood next to the bed, though the guilt on his face registered in her mind. She just threw off the covers, still dressed in her clothes, and she silently padded downstairs.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as she pulled on her boots. "The pizza arrived after you fell asleep."

She shook her head, letting her hair form a barrier between them as she leaned down to grab her bag. It wasn't that she meant to be cold but her pride was wounded, and more than that she didn't trust her voice not to break.

"Alright," he conceded with a sigh. "I'll be waiting in the car for you."

Once she was alone, she moved to the sink, splashing water on her face, the coolness a salve to her aching, puffy eyes. She ran a brush through her hair and then rummaged through her bag for her sunglasses. She needed them.

And then she exited the villa, locking the door and testing the handle before she stepped off the porch to his idling car. He was wearing his sunglasses as well and she settled into the seat next to him.

"I bought you a coffee," he offered again, and she accepted the Styrofoam cup he held out.

"Thank you," she said finally, after she'd taken a sip, the warmth soothing the ache in her throat.

He gave a subtle nod and switched the gear into reverse. Elena watched the sunlight filter through the mist hovering over the lake and between the tall pines as they pulled away from the cabin.

"I'm sorry."

She couldn't see his eyes, and he wasn't looking at her, but the set of his mouth and tone of his voice showed how bothered he was. She inhaled deeply, her chest heavy.

"So am I," was all she said.

Somehow, this cut deeper than anything with either Salvatore brother, each a man she'd thought herself to be in love with at different points. She tried to convince herself it was the combined rejection and heartbreak of all three, causing her to finally hit rock bottom. But in her heart she knew that wasn't the complete truth. It was the fact that she'd been silently, subconsciously, developing feelings for Elijah that ran stronger than she'd allowed herself to believe. And now the fact that she'd lied to herself was coming back to bite her.

She looked out the window so he wouldn't see her blinking back tears.

oOo

"Here," Elijah said, handing her the keys. "I want you to stay in the car."

It wasn't quite forty-five minutes later, and in that time they'd traveled from the wilderness to the bustling metropolis of Montreal. Normally she may have argued over being left out of the action, but today she merely nodded. Her nerves were still shot from crossing over the Pont Champlain bridge, and she was dizzy from staring at the expanse of the St. Lawrence River stretching out to either side. A glance in the passenger side mirror told her that her skin was still pale as a ghost's. She couldn't help the flashbacks that it stirred up, probably more than usual today with the tension in the car.

"If you get nervous or suspicious, call my phone," he continued. "And if I don't return in 20 minutes or you cannot reach me, drive."

His brow was stern, insistent, and her chest pulled at the thought of going without him, of not knowing again where he was or what had happened.

"But I can't leave you here," she protested.

"If it's for your safety, you must."

She knew he meant Esther, and she crossed her arms uncomfortably. "If she manages to take you down somehow, then I'm gone too. I won't leave you behind."

He sighed, worried and stressed. "And she could kill you in a heartbeat. She has what she needed from you. Do you think she would have any concern for your life now?"

She shrugged.

"Well, I can tell you now that she wouldn't. Your face is enough of a thorn in her side to set her off... she wouldn't hesitate to do that which is already going to happen in her mind. If I don't come back, you must leave and find Niklaus."

He reached forward, pulling her hand from her side and into his. Those dark eyes took on a tenderness that made her think of last night, and her lips parted almost instinctively as she sucked in a small shaky breath. He ran his thumb over the top of her fingers and he swallowed, his mask beginning to crack to reveal his continuous struggle against his draw to her.

"Promise me, Elena," he said again.

She bit at the inside of her lip, fighting against kissing him. She nodded.

"Thank you," he murmured after he exhaled in relief, her stubbornness clearly making him uneasy. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward, and she felt his lips press against her forehead, lingering. As if he thought it might be the last time he saw her.

Elena didn't open her eyes again until she heard the car door shut. Then she watched him walk into the regal hotel across the street. Her eyes flitted anxiously over the scenery, as though she would actually be able to spot Esther in a crowd. A thousand year old witch wouldn't be easy to catch. And the street activity made her even less conspicuous. She could easily hide in plain sight.

The car's silence unnerved Elena, but she stayed inside its safe confines instead of exploring the cafés and shops calling out to her. Even if she was still within view, she'd had enough past experience to know it would be a prime opportunity for someone to take her. And it would give Elijah reason to be angry with her, which she wanted to avoid. At least for the next thirteen hours, anyway.

She thought she saw someone staring at her on the street, but a tall form approaching the car took her attention away. She glanced up and saw Finn, Elijah trailing behind him. When she looked back to the street, no one was paying them mind. Nothing but her tired, nervous brain playing tricks. Finn approached the back of the car, but she opened her door.

"Here," she said as she stepped out, stretching her legs on the sidewalk. "You can have the front seat."

Finn glanced between her and Elijah. He gave her a tight smile. "Thank you," he said before he settled inside.

Elijah stared at her from behind his brother, clearly wanting to call her out on avoiding him in the only way she possibly could at the moment. But he remained silent, letting his eyes burn into her instead. Her stomach flipped as she slid into the backseat.

oOo

Finn shifted in his seat, and Elijah looked at him.

"What is the matter?"

His brother peered at Elena's sleeping form in the back seat.

"It's taking a long time to adjust. Being around a human, after spending centuries entombed… my willpower isn't what it once was."

Elijah's eyebrow arched wryly. "Yet you traveled to a major city to hide from us."

"I rarely left the hotel." He ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. "I was actually relieved when Grigore told me you were coming. Perhaps he can help me with this as well, if Mother's spell can't be carried out. I'm not so selfish to insist upon the undoing of the world just to save myself."

"You truly hate your existence that much?"

His brother gave a distracted nod. "I don't know how you've stood it for centuries."

"It's not all a curse."

Finn didn't miss Elijah's split-second glance into the rearview mirror, though he was silent for a few moments as he pondered how to broach the subject. "I see the doppelganger wasn't a myth after all," he said eventually.

Elijah's shoulders tensed. "No."

"And you've let yourself grow fond of her as well."

"She's not Tatiana."

"Does she return your feelings?"

Elijah remained silent as he steered the car along the highway, his hard gaze focused upon the miles of pavement in front of them.

"How could you let yourself even entertain it? She is a human girl, Elijah. She doesn't deserve this curse."

"I know," he lamented, and his brother sighed in commiseration.

"And I know you. You can't keep yourself away."

His jaw set. Somehow it stung worse to hear his brother sound his own concerns out loud. It was as though he had a sibling for each side of his conscience – Finn the moral, Klaus the seeing how Klaus had begun to come around… it was becoming far too muddled, no longer black and white. And then she pushed at him, closer and closer to the edge.

"If she's ever to have a chance... you have to leave her, Elijah. Your emotions will surely compromise your nobility, and you can't ask her to live like this."

"But you turned Sage." They stared at each other now, his brother's long-lost lover hanging between them like a dead weight.

"And I've regretted it every minute since."

Finn looked down to hide his stricken expression and to compose himself, and Elijah felt guilty for hitting below the belt. Originals existed in an incapacitated, coma-like state while they were daggered. Though there was a loss of the sense of time and a resulting disorientation when they were reanimated, dreams and thoughts still occurred. He couldn't imagine suffering the weight of 900 years of regret and remorse.

"Don't tell me you've honestly considered turning her."

"No," Elijah insisted vehemently.

Perhaps too much so, as Finn's expression showed subtle alarm at the realization that he could have ever intended such a thing.

"You haven't learned in a thousand years? The hatred of forever?"

Elijah felt annoyed by Finn's chiding then, certain his brother hadn't been faced with a dilemma quite so tortured. How could Finn expect him to carry out a deed that would require the discipline of a saint when God himself had placed Elena in his path? Was this his trial? His downfall?

"It is not by choice, brother. She asked me if I would," he said wearily. "She's not letting it go. I cannot help the thoughts she places in my mind. She is a force unto herself."

Finn's expression softened slightly, apparently considering Sage's own campaign to be turned, and his own weak response. "Then that is all the more reason to leave. We can go together, once Mother has been dealt with. We'll help each other."

There was a new vigor in his brother's expression, at the idea of a reunion and the possibility of his help in navigating his nature as a vampire, that made it so Elijah couldn't bring himself refuse. Not yet. But the sleeping girl behind him still tugged at his resolve.

Even if it was for the best, his would be a broken existence without her.


	9. Chapter 9

Elena had barely set her bag on the bed and pulled off her jacket when she saw his reflection in the mirror.

"Please don't."

Ric sighed as he leaned against the doorway of her bedroom, arms crossed. "So I'm supposed to pretend it's okay that you took off on an overnight road trip with the Original vampire who used you as bait a few weeks ago, without anything more than a text."

She cringed at the sarcasm. "I knew you would freak out."

"You think?" He sat on the corner of her bed. "Look, I'm not your dad. And you're eighteen years old, I can't dictate what you can and can't do. But you asked me to stick around, to help you guys out, to act like the adult in the house. So that means you need to give me a little more forewarning about what's going on."

She looked down to unzip her bag, avoiding his gaze, flustered because he was right. He did deserve to know. "Okay. That's fair."

"Okay," he said under his breath. "Then it's time to tell me what's going on with you and Elijah."

She slowly raised her eyes to meet his, feeling her cheeks burn. "Nothing."

"Come on, Elena. You're like a moth to a flame when it comes to him."

She exhaled slowly, the ache behind her eyes returning. "It doesn't matter. Even if I feel something for him, and he's attracted to me… it's not going to happen. He thinks it's wrong, he won't let himself go there."

She saw the quick flash of relief in Alaric's eyes at her confession, and that just made it all worse. It reinforced how most people would share Elijah and Ric's viewpoint over hers, that not many would approve of a relationship between them. She'd woken up for part of Finn's argument with Elijah in the car, and she pretended to sleep while she listened. It nearly knocked the wind out of her to hear Elijah go along with his brother, barely defending what he felt for her. And then he agreed to leave after it was all over. But Elena just couldn't bring herself to give up. Sheknew there was no guarantee that they were meant to be together forever - she just wanted to give it a chance.

And as much as he wanted to denounce it, Elijah was still drawn to her. He couldn't stay away, even with everything he'd said. If this was her destiny, she wasn't sure it was something she could stomach. It was too cruel to spend her lifetime with the man she could never have in her periphery, as a constant reminder.

A tear betrayed her composure, and she rubbed at her eyelids in frustration. She didn't think she had anything left in her to cry out after last night. Alaric's expression turned guilty at her emotional reaction, and he reached forward, pulling her into a hug as her shoulders heaved with sobs.

"Sshhhh…. it'll be okay. It's not the end of the world," he murmured. She didn't see how he cringed as soon as he uttered the clichéd statements, and maybe if she weren't so upset she would have smirked at how he did sound like a stereotypical parent.

But she only sniffled against his shoulder, because no matter what comfort anyone offered, it did feel like the end of the world to her.

oOo

Elijah stood in shock. Niklaus had torn the rug from under his feet, or maybe the earth had shifted.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his mouth feeling dry and the words sticking on his tongue.

"Exactly what I said. The witch wants to turn us human. That's the only deal she's willing to offer. She won't break the curse of the white oak."

He could hear the dissatisfaction in his brother's tone, and he wanted to tread carefully. But Finn was already speaking, and he braced himself for a blowout. His brothers had never seen eye to eye.

"Then I think we should take it. Don't you see? It's our chance for redemption."

Klaus's upper lip curled. "Even if I weren't leaning toward declining the invitation, you'd still have to work on persuading Rebekah and Kol. And I think we all know how that would go."

"We all have to turn back together?" Elijah asked quietly.

Klaus's eyebrow raised. "Caroline didn't mention that, actually. But I have to say it's something I wouldn't put past Bonnie. Sounds like one of her ultimatums."

"Well, I should think any one of us turned back is better than none," Finn interjected. "So if she doesn't have any such stipulations, I plan on taking her up on the offer."

"I didn't expect anything less of you. Mother would be so proud," Klaus retorted.

Finn crossed his arms, his chin raised in an air of superiority. "I hardly care about your opinion, seeing as you murdered both our parents. You've always been the black sheep. Of course you'd want to go against the honorable course of action."

Klaus lurched forward aggressively, his face maybe a foot from his brother's. "It's unfortunate the daggers disappeared, because the last 900 years were remarkably more pleasant without your company-"

"And here come the idle threats! Must you always resort to violence, just because someone speaks of that which you don't want to hear? Perhaps if you were noble, instead of a bullying coward-"

"Stop, both of you."

Elijah stepped between his brothers, and for once they listened. He looked at them both sternly, his patience wearing thin. He knew Klaus was on the precipice of turning a corner in his life, but Finn's riling insistence upon taking the higher road made Elijah worry Klaus would regress out of spite. It wasn't a chance he was willing to take, not with the possibility Klaus had just presented. If necessary, he'd make sure they stayed far out of each other's way until everything was said and done.

"Now isn't the time for this," he continued. "Grigore arrives tomorrow and we need to focus on breaking the bond. Not to mention that we still have to take down Mother before we can consider whether we remain vampires or turn human. We may not even be here after all is said and done. We can't afford any infighting right now. Can you both agree to disagree?"

He looked between them both. Finn reluctantly nodded, but Klaus only glowered at them both before turning on his heel and heading out of the study, the remnants of his anger polluting the air of the room.

Finn frowned. "He will never change."

Elijah stared at the doorway his younger brother had just exited through, dazed with preoccupation. "He may, given the right circumstances," he mused. "But it's a point we have to allow him to reach on his own. Our pressure won't work. It never has." He looked back to Finn. "You can't provoke him with these arguments."

His brother's mouth quirked in indignance. "I also can't sit idly by and continue to let him make decisions about the fate of our family. If this is our opportunity to escape our damned existence, I plan to do everything in my power to make it so."

"And you'll fight not only him, but Rebekah and Kol as well." Elijah raised his eyebrow. "I'm warning you now, it will backfire. When they refuse and estrange themselves, the blame will rest upon your shoulders."

"At least I'll know in my conscience that I tried." Finn gave an exaggerated shrug, his attitude burrowing under Elijah's skin. He paused for a moment, but then he shook his head. He didn't look at Elijah again before he left the room.

oOo

She stirred and turned to her side, facing him now. But her eyes remained closed, the rows of dark lashes settled against her smooth cheek. Elijah stood at the side of Elena's bed, cursing himself for coming here. It was torture, for both of them. Knowing as he did that her feelings mirrored his own made it that much more difficult to refuse her. Because now, he wasn't disappointing only himself. And he hated to hurt her.

Yet here he was, making it all worse because he should have been walking away instead. But she was the first person he thought of when Klaus told him of Bonnie's offer. And while he knew it would likely never come to fruition, he hadn't ever wished so fiercely to be human again at any point in the last thousand years.

He knelt down on the floor, on one knee, like her lover.

If only.

Elijah inhaled deeply as he reached forward. He lifted her hand that rested upon her hip and threaded his fingers with hers, caressing the side of her hand with his thumb. She sighed softly in her sleep and it pierced through his heart like a bittersweet stake. He wondered if Niklaus was right, if his fight against loving her was futile. It would make life so much easier, so much more pleasant to just give in to her. The steady thud of her heart entranced him, almost lulling him into surrender as he watched the way her lush lips parted with the slow whoosh of her breath.

And then his eyes focused upon the throbbing of her carotid, imperceptible to the human eye but like an instinctual beacon in the dark to a vampire. The faint ache started beneath his gums, one that he had long since learned to curb. But it reminded him of what her fate would be, if she fell in love with him like this. He was honest when he told her the night before that he wouldn't be able to let her go. He would turn her in a heartbeat. And that would ruin her - all of her innocence, her empathy. It would either be gone, or drive her mad. She'd never be able to reconcile it.

That wasn't the version of the life he wanted with her.

Elijah reluctantly untangled his grasp from hers, swallowing around the resolve that threatened to choke him. It left him weary.

"Elena," he coaxed quietly, not wanting to startle her. "Sweetheart, wake up."

"Mmmm?" she croaked, her eyelids fluttering until she focused upon him. He heard her pulse quicken as she straightened onto her side, pulling up her blanket as an impenetrable barrier between them. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you."

"And it couldn't wait until tomorrow?"

Under the defensive tone, he could hear the residual shakiness in her voice. She'd been upset, over him.

"No," he answered simply.

He sat upon the side of her bed, not in contact, and she drew her knees up to create more distance between them – an act that both disappointed him and left him grateful.

"Did something happen?" And the fear lurked below.

Elijah shook his head. "Not exactly. I couldn't sleep and I needed to talk. To you." His eyes met hers now, and he could see the confusion and desire blooming in her eyes.

"About what?" she asked huskily.

"Bonnie has come to us with a counter-offer in Klaus's request for her to de-spell the white oak. She wants to turn us human."

"Oh my God." Elena's breathing picked up, and her heart was racing now. "She-she can do that?"

And now her mind flooded with the ideas, the possibilities – it was written all over her face, and his soul ached at how badly he wanted to make it a reality for her. Elijah slowly nodded.

"There is a catch," he added, sullen at how her face fell as she waited for the bad news. "It has to be all of us, or so my brother thinks. If she turns my family back, it means the descendants of every Original bloodline would be capable of turning back."

She swallowed. "Her mom."

"Yes."

"And… is that something you would consider?" she asked cautiously.

"It's not a matter of that, Elena. It's a matter of whether Niklaus will ever agree."

Her gaze dropped to her lap. "Then I suppose it will never happen."

"I… don't know. Certainly it would be easier to bring the rest of my siblings around. Finn would go along without any hesitation, though I'm sure that's no surprise. And Rebekah could be persuaded. Kol… well, he and Klaus would likely be the sticking points. But even if it could be done on an individual basis, I'm afraid I couldn't go along with it. Someone has to counter as their conscience."

Elena nodded, her expression crestfallen now. "I just thought… maybe you missed being human."

He sighed, and despite his better judgment, he took her hand back into his. She looked up at him, and he saw her shiver in the dark at the way his eyes burned at hers. "I have been blessed with a wealth of experiences by existing for so long. But sometimes… I feel as though that's all I've done. I've simply existed. Life is about relationships, Elena, and I have been cheated out of the greatest joys. I've watched the rare few I've cared about die, and I've been forced to live at the outskirts of society for several centuries. I have no lasting bonds… even my wish to reunite my family has been an utter failure. Although it is finite, at least human life is full. I can't say the same for a vampire."

She bit at the inside of her cheek, her eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "For all that you've been denied, and for all that you've suffered."

He gave her a sad smile. He squeezed at her hand, yet again floored at how much understanding and empathy she possessed for such a young soul. He let out a sigh as he stood, subconsciously lamenting the loss of physical contact. "I'm sorry for burdening you with this, as the chances are slim… but I thought you might want to know regardless."

"Elijah," she called softly, as he opened the door. He looked at her. "I'm here for you, even if we can't… be together. But I hope they do reconsider. For us."

He didn't let himself agree, as much as he wanted to… he didn't want to dash her hopes later. It would be bad enough for him to mourn the possibility of what could have been. Instead he headed silently down the staircase to the sound of her quiet weeping.


	10. Chapter 10

The doors of the Mikaelson estate opened independently - no responsible party behind them - before either girl had a chance to knock. Bonnie gave a startled glance to Caroline, who only shrugged as they continued inside. And in the grand foyer, the Originals awaited them, a glamorous undead lineup. Klaus caught Caroline's gaze, and the corner of his mouth rose in a faint smirk. Her stomach fluttered as she tore her eyes away. She was wary of Bonnie watching them.

Elijah stood in the center, and she could tell he was exhausted. She knew why, thanks to Elena's distressed early morning phone call. The other girl was so upset that Caroline couldn't stay mad at her for taking off on a secret road trip. And while she played the part of a good friend and listened, she couldn't help feeling as though she were in the middle, at least a little bit. She sympathized with Elena's hurt feelings but she understood Elijah's moral dilemma. It was the same she'd struggled with over Matt, though he ultimately made the choice so she didn't have to. And when Elena mentioned turning, her heart dropped. It just felt wrong, in so many ways - it wasn't a life meant for her. But Caroline didn't say it aloud. She trusted that Elijah eventually would, more bluntly than he already had... unless Klaus and the others agreed to Bonnie's deal. Her heart skipped a beat at the prospect, and she tried to bury any anticipation she felt. She didn't want to hope, just to end up disappointed.

Elijah's eyebrow subtly arched, and Caroline blushed as she realized she'd been staring. Her gaze diverted to the only stranger in the room, the young man at Elijah's side. He was tall, lean, with an olive complexion and European features that reminded her of ancient sculptures. There was a mess of black curls upon his head partially hidden by a tweed newsboy cap, and the glint in his eye bespoke of his mirthful nature. He leaned back casually against the fountain in the center of the room, crossing his arms low on his waist, long legs relaxed in tailored grey wool pants. He appeared to be sizing up the newcomers.

"Ayana's descendant," he said after a few moments, an accent audible in his voice. "I could feel the power the second you stepped out of your car."

Bonnie looked bewildered as he approached her, but her eyes couldn't hide the fact that she found him attractive and intriguing. Caroline smirked despite herself, amused that his charisma flustered the normally indifferent witch.

"This is Grigore," Elijah said, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. "Don't mind his flirtatious manner. You'll find that he possesses a vast knowledge of witchcraft. I think you should complement each other well."

"I agree." Grigore smiled and he held out his hand. "Follow me? We have everything ready."

Bonnie weakly smiled back, and she took a step forward. But then she glanced suspiciously between Klaus and Caroline.

"Coming?"

On the surface her tone was light, cordial. But underneath, she was leaving no room to argue. So Caroline reluctantly nodded, her cheeks pink again at the fact that her friend was far too aware of everything. They followed Elijah down the hallway and settled into the study.

"Our blood," he stated, gesturing to five corked vials on the table as the witches approached.

"Thank you," Bonnie replied as she pulled her grimoire out of her bag and handed it to Grigore. He appeared fascinated by the contents as he leafed through the pages.

Caroline retreated to the back of the room. She crossed her arms, and Elijah came to stand next to her, his hands in his pockets. They were both silent for a few moments, and he seemed oblivious to Caroline's concerned glances. Either that or he was ignoring her.

"I talked to Elena," she said eventually, her voice low enough that the humans couldn't hear.

"Oh." His forced polite smile was more like a grimace.

"I'm sorry." She opened her mouth to continue, but she stopped when his eyes flashed with pain. It caught her off-guard, how crushed he truly was. She hadn't ever seen this much emotion from him.

"I suppose I shouldn't be so distressed, Caroline," he began. "I should be thankful that I've even had the chance to know her. I'm only sorry that I've dragged her into this emotional turmoil with me."

"But it's not fair," she quietly argued.

"I don't have to tell you that life isn't fair."

"I know…"

Her voice trailed off, and he turned his attention back to Grigore and Bonnie. Neither was paying them any mind, as they held hands and chanted in a trance. The blood had been poured on a cloth over the Mikaelson family crest. Caroline watched as it began to bead out, five separate rivers slowly flowing away from the center reservoir.

"I couldn't trust her alone," Elijah said softly, his gaze still upon them. "That's part of the reason Grigore needed to come so soon. I wasn't certain she would break the bond if I left her to do it by herself."

Caroline didn't say anything. She hated to badmouth her friend who had been through as much as the rest of them, but Bonnie's moral compass was far more rigid than any of theirs. And Caroline knew that Bonnie would take even her out if it served a greater purpose. She could be ruthless when she had to be. It terrified Caroline sometimes, as they were on opposite sides of the line.

But she was relieved that Elijah had made the observation independently, that she hadn't had to plant the idea in his head that Bonnie might not go along with everything as planned. Caroline figured he researched the recent events in Mystic Falls once the existence of another doppelganger came to light. And the night of the fire and the car accident which led to her becoming a vampire was likely part of that new knowledge. Her jaw clenched, and she found herself irritated over the fact that she would still be a human high school girl if Bonnie had de-spelled the device like she'd promised Elena. It was hard to completely blame the witch, as so much had happened that it was muddled to determine who might be right and who might be wrong. But Bonnie wouldn't take any responsibility. She never had. And it was unfair. It was all unfair.

She let out a slow exhale… now wasn't the time to get herself worked up. And this mess had to stop somewhere. She felt Elijah's eyes on her and she looked up at him.

"I'm going to do everything I can to get your brother to go along with Bonnie's deal," she said. "Even if it takes me a decade. I just… I think we could all use a fresh start, Elijah. I know you can see it. And I think you deserve a shot at happiness."

His lips parted as he regarded her, unsure what to say. But they were interrupted by Bonnie and Grigore.

"It's done," Grigore smiled. The cloth he held in his hand bore no trace of the blood in the center – instead there were five separate blots off to the edges. Elijah bowed his head graciously, clearly pleased with their efficiency and Bonnie smiled politely.

"Well done. I thank you both," he said. "Might I take it to show the others?"

"Of course!" Grigore handed it to him, and he turned to Bonnie after the Original left the room. "I suppose it's time to outline the rest of our plans with you."

Caroline shifted, curious but also unsettled. She had just sensed someone coming up behind her when she heard the voice.

"Hey."

She turned and saw Klaus in the doorway. "Yes?"

"Would you join me in the courtyard? I have some matters to discuss with you."

She crossed her arms awkwardly when she noticed Bonnie watching her with a darkened expression. But she nodded anyway, and then said to her friend, "I'll be back soon. You guys can talk while I step out for a few, right?"

"Sure, whatever." Bonnie focused back onto her grimoire, her tone annoyed. "I'll get you when I'm ready to go."

Caroline only rolled her eyes as she left the room.

Bonnie let out an exasperated sigh once she was out of earshot, and Grigore smirked. "You don't care for vampires, I take it."

"Should I?" she shot back. Then she looked down, flustered. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be short with you. It's just… after everything I've been through, I can't help it. I hate to even help them with this. And to top it all off she's all infatuated with Klaus, but she acts like I'm too stupid to see it…"

She groaned in irritation, and Grigore chuckled. "Ah, well, imagine how he was when I first met him? He's actually gotten better in the last decade."

Bonnie looked at him skeptically. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's true!" He sat in the chair, resting his elbows on the table and tilting his head into her line of vision so that she couldn't avoid him. "But I have to say… in the time I've known them, I came to realize that none of them are truly evil - just misunderstood. Even Niklaus. He copes with rage and violence only because it's easier than feeling the baggage he's carried around for centuries. But the right person will help him become noble. You can mark my words on that."

He raised his eyebrows as if he was challenging her to a bet and she laughed a little. "I'd be surprised to see it in our lifetime." He just shrugged, and her curiosity was piqued. "How did you come to know so much about them?"

"I'm a descendant of Esther's sister… so, their descendant as well. Our family has kept many manuscripts and records, spellbooks, an account of the spell that Mikael gave centuries ago. I decided to seek them out, and Elijah was the first I found. Then Niklaus. I haven't kept constant contact, but they've both come to me for help in the meantime. And I have, as best I could."

"Why?"

"I guess I feel sorry for them. There's still a good deal of humanity in them. And it's not a life I would choose for myself, to be sure, but… I can understand not being able to choose to die, either. They've existed, but they haven't truly lived. Not like you and I."

Grigore pulled out his own spellbook and she was silent, thoughtful. So much of what he said was true. And Bonnie had suspected it, but she hadn't cared to find out for sure. It made her wonder… if all that were true, if they were solely existing - why wouldn't they go along with her offer? She hadn't heard a word one way or the other, and frankly it left her annoyed, that they seemed to think she would wait in limbo forever.

"They're trying to get me to break the curse on the white oak," she confided in a low voice.

He chuckled again, not looking up from the page he was engrossed in. "They tried to get me to do the same. But I had an easy out – my direct bloodline hadn't placed the spell. It wasn't something I could accomplish." He peered up at her. "What did you tell them?"

"I said I would turn them human, bless them with a long lifespan… but I can't leave them vampires, with no way to take them down. How am I supposed to trust them? Not just for my lifetime, but eternity?"

"You can't," he agreed. "But… I don't think you can expect them to agree otherwise so quickly, either. As much as they are cursed right now, it's all they've known for centuries. I'm sure they're terrified of adapting to a human life."

"So what am I supposed to do, then? Keep waiting until I die, and it's too late?"

"No, no. Just… give it a little time. Klaus and Elijah are the elders of this family. If they are in agreement, they will bring the others into the fold. And as I said before, the right person will help change Klaus's mind."

The look on his face made her put two and two together. "You think… Caroline?"

He smirked. "Perhaps. I can't say I've seen him this way before in the time I've known him. But in the meantime… you should consider temporarily lifting the curse. If one is killed, their whole bloodline is killed. I'd hate to see your friends or your mother die because of your impatience."

Bonnie sighed, annoyed because he was again right and again had struck a nerve. "Maybe."

He hid a grin as he nodded, because they both knew she would be out late tonight in the plantation ruins, rendering the cloaked stockpile of white oak useless. But she could always put the spell back. It would take a lot of power, but to see her mom human again… and maybe Caroline, and Tyler… that would be enough to make it worth it.

"So, what's the plan for Esther?" she asked, leaning forward to read the faded script.

Grigore pushed the book between them to give her a closer view. "It's very simple. She should arrive tomorrow, according to Finn. I spoke with her, told her that you and I were on her side, that we would carry out the ritual once she gets here. We will bring her to the Salvatore tomb… the site of her human death. She thinks we can draw upon the power in the memory of the earth to bring them down."

"But are we going to have enough power to fight her if she's drawing from the earth?"

"Yes. There are two other connections to the original spell beyond your bloodline that we will rely upon. The first - the doppelgangers. Katerina and Elena's existence is directly linked to the spell."

The idea of seeing Katherine again left a bad taste in Bonnie's mouth, but she refrained from making a comment. "And we have to find Katherine?"

"No, Elijah tracked her down rather easily. She should be here tonight."

"Fabulous," she said under her breath. "And what's the second?"

"Well, nature won't allow vampires to be witches, as a general conflict of interest. But seeing as Rebekah is Esther's daughter, she would be the most effective in fighting against her mother's power. So we are going to bend nature's rules temporarily - just until we've defeated their mother."

"And you think this is a good idea."

"I think it's the best chance we have. We can always disable her if she gets out of line… she won't have more power than us. But it covers the three points of the spell essential to taking Esther down… her bloodline, Ayana's bloodline, and the pair of doppelgangers. So. Does that sound like a plan?"

She nodded, perhaps less than enthusiastically.

He patted her hand with a reassuring smile. "Don't be so glum, Bonnie. It will all work out as it should. Just trust me."

She took a deep breath. "Okay. I… trust you."

As he skimmed forward in the spellbook, she set her focus upon quieting her nagging doubts.

oOo

Caroline looked up at Klaus, pushing stray locks from her face. The weather was decidedly chillier than the last time they'd been in the courtyard, and the wind blew through her hair. "What did you need to discuss with me?"

He looked skittish and she tightened her arms around herself, bracing herself. "What you and the witch have asked of me and my siblings…"

Her heart broke as he silently shook his head.

"I just cannot agree to it, Caroline. I'm sorry."

Her eyes burned with tears. "But it's only been two days. How can you be sure?"

"Because I would be insane to give up my power and eternal life to become a weak mortal again."

She stepped closer, and she could see him straighten as though her proximity threatened his resolve. "I don't believe you."

He gave a humorless laugh, his head tilted to break their eye contact. "Why would I lie to you?"

"Because I miss being human every day, and every day gets a little bit harder. So it must nearly choke you at the end of a thousand years."

He appeared less than pleased now, his eyes narrowed. She took a deep breath and continued on.

"And you're scared of not having your hybrid side to hide behind. Because being an extraordinary human takes more effort than it does to be a cruel vampire. And you probably don't think you have it in you." She laid a hand upon his chest, and his eyes followed her movements, though his mouth was contorted into a surly pout. "But I know you do."

"Don't." Klaus threw up his hands, backing away from her. His expression was accusatory, and she blinked, wide-eyed. "Don't try to make me play to your whims, Caroline. I'm wise to you."

It was her turn to pout, and she put her hands on her hips. "Wise to what? That I want to be human again? That your agreement would solve a lot of problems? That you hold the fate of your family in your hands and you don't even care?"

"Don't tell me that I don't care about my family! I've protected them for centuries!"

"Well, you could have fooled me. You act like an entitled brat half the time! And this is just a prime example."

"The only brat here is you, my dear –"

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really! Look at how you're acting because you're not getting your way! I suppose I should be relieved you've decided I'm not worthy of you, because you've saved me from an eternal headache."

Caroline's mouth dropped open, and for a second he looked as though he regretted his words and wanted to apologize. But then he thought better of it and the sneering mask was back in place. He roughly brushed past her, but she didn't turn to look at him or to try to coax him back. She heard the gate slam shut, rattling upon its hinges, as Klaus left her outside.


	11. Chapter 11

The doorbell sounded, and Elena hurried down the stairs. She knew it had to be Elijah after he texted her yesterday about needing her present tonight, the night they would murder his mother for the final time. She was nervous, and the last twenty four hours had dragged which only added to her anxiety. She spent a good deal of that time wondering if she might not see him again for a while, after this. Would his presence in her life dwindle? Would he force himself to stay away? She hoped he didn't still intend to leave Mystic Falls with Finn.

She had just skidded to a stop, smoothing out her clothes and hair, when Ric grabbed hold of the doorknob. Elena looked up at him warily, but his face was grim.

"I told you I wasn't letting you do this alone," he reminded her.

She glanced down at his hand - the ring was still there. The security blanket that gave her no room to protest. She met his eyes again. "Thanks."

He opened the door and initially Elijah appeared surprised that the history teacher was the one to greet him. But then his expression changed to one of subtle respect. "Are you accompanying us?"

"Do you really think I'd let Elena run off alone to face down your mother? I lost my girlfriend the last time I missed out on one of your rituals."

Elijah grimaced at the reminder of Jenna's death before his aloof demeanor was back in place. "Fair enough. If you'll both follow me, then."

Elena took a deep breath as they locked the door and stepped out onto the porch. She wasn't sure she was ready for this. Alaric sensed her anxiety and squeezed at her shoulder. "It will be fine," he whispered.

She nodded, appreciating the reassurance despite the fact that it sounded hollow to her. She didn't know how he could be so sure. He knew how many times their plans took a wrong turn and someone suffered. She only hoped it wasn't one of the three of them tonight, or Bonnie.

Elijah opened the passenger side door, gesturing her inside. She had just settled into the seat when a familiar voice greeted her. Her voice.

"Hello, Elena."

She twisted around to face Katherine. "What….? Why are you here? I thought you were on the run from Klaus."

"Well," she said with a smirk, "things change. Mutual favors and all that. We were able to strike a deal, since they need both doppelgangers for the ritual, and now I have my freedom. Or at least I will, once Esther is taken care of."

Elena turned to Elijah, ignoring the mischievous glint in Katherine's eyes now that she'd gotten under the younger duplicate's skin. "You didn't tell me she would be here."

"I'm aware that there's no loss of love between you, but her participation is necessary. However, she's agreed to act on best behavior, lest the deal be broken." He cast a warning glance in Katherine's direction, who pouted at the subtle dressing down. "And I didn't feel it was worth riling you over until I was sure Katerina would actually grace us with her presence. You've suffered through enough stress as of late."

His gaze showed his sincerity, and she relented with a sigh, though she still crossed her arms. "Fine."

"So," Alaric said from the backseat, breaking into the heavy mood. "How is this going down?"

"With magic, of course, as it's the most effective way to fight magic." Elijah's eyebrow rose with a hint of amusement. "Namely, Grigore and Bonnie, who are now by the Salvatore tomb with my mother and Finn, practicing to take us down. Or so my mother thinks. My remaining siblings should be arriving as we do. You'll join us off on the sidelines, but basically the witches, including Rebekah, will draw on the strength of the doppelgangers to weaken my mother until she dies."

"And Elena won't get hurt," Alaric stated pointedly.

"Never, Ric. She will be safe and sound."

Alaric didn't reply but there was an air of grudging acceptance in his expression now that showed he was satisfied with the Original's declaration, and Elena felt a twinge of nervous anticipation in her stomach when Elijah's dark eyes caught hers again. Her fingers found the medal around her neck, the one she hadn't removed since he'd clasped it upon her. The corners of his mouth gave the slightest hint of a smile, as though he were pleased that she silently acknowledged he would protect her. She longed to take his hand but it wasn't appropriate in their current company. Instead, she would talk to him later. Once the night was over and the immediate threat was gone. When they could all breathe a little easier.

It didn't take long to reach the graveyard. Kol, Klaus, and Rebekah were waiting for them at the gates. The blonde vampire crossed her arms as her elder brother approached with the two doppelgangers.

"The sight of them makes me sick," she hissed.

"Oh, it's nice to finally meet you too," Katherine replied, saccharinely sweet, to which Kol chuckled. She smirked as she sauntered past them, and Klaus drew in a deep breath, bracing himself for his sister's apoplectic reaction.

"You should be more polite, Bekah," Elijah chided. "I know it brings back memories of a tense time for our family-"

"And Stefan Salvatore," Klaus muttered under his breath.

"But," Elijah continued, over his brother, "they will be the ones to save our lives. Have a little respect."

"Fine. I'm sorry," she said to Elena, with a dull tone and an expression that was anything but apologetic. "Let's get this show on the road. I have places I'd rather be."

"Have you memorized the spells?" Elijah asked her.

"Of course she has – it's all we listened to on the way over," Klaus answered with a roll of his eyes, which earned him a jab in the ribs from his little sister. "She's just nervous."

"As I'm sure we all are," Elijah murmured, setting one hand in his pocket. He gently rested the other upon Elena's back, looking at her with a faint smile. "Ready?"

"Yes," she answered, returning the smile with one that was far more forced. She glanced to Alaric over her shoulder and he gave a determined nod as he followed them inside the cemetery.

They covered the ground between the gates and the tomb quietly, and there was a fire illuminating Esther's spot on the hill above them.

"Follow Rebekah," Elijah whispered into her ear as his sister made her way through the grass. "Niklaus and I will be behind in case my mother tries to escape." She nodded, and he caught her hand with a squeeze, his eyes blazing into hers. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Then he pressed a kiss against her hand, and her skin turned scarlet at the gesture. She hadn't expected him to be so forward, especially with his siblings and Alaric present. But Katherine was pulling her forward before she even had time to blink.

"Careful," she whispered in Elena's ear. "Don't want to break another leftover vampire's heart."

She was ready to deliver a cutting retort but Katherine placed a finger over her lips. Rebekah was heading over the crest, with them close behind, and Elena could see Esther standing between Bonnie and Grigore at the center of a fiery pentagram, Finn to the side. The witches had their eyes closed until Rebekah cleared her throat, and Esther's eyes shot open wide.

"Rebekah! And –and Katerina? Elena?" she stuttered in shock as they came over the crest.

"Yes, and I'm sure if she weren't long dead, Tatiana would have been more than happy to have joined us three after your torture of her," Rebekah scorned. "But we will carry on in her spirit."

"You tricked me," Esther bit out with a scathing glance to Finn. "You set me up! Your own mother –"

Finn's expression was calm, reserved, and he spoke softly but with conviction. "You lied, Mother. You promised the world would be a better place without our kind… you never spoke of the chaos it would suffer after you eradicated it of vampires' existences. The innocent lives that would be taken."

Having heard enough, Esther extinguished the fire and raced forward. But she didn't make it more than a few yards from her original spot. Rebekah had joined Grigore and Bonnie in chanting and she was effectively frozen in place by their words. Katherine gripped Elena's hand now and bowed her head, closing her eyes. Elena followed suit, though it was hard to tear hereyes from the Original matriarch as she wailed for help from her Wiccan sisters in the great beyond.

The chanting stopped after a few minutes, but the cries did not, and Elena looked up. Five roots had wrapped around Esther's form, tying her to the earth and ensuring that she could not escape. Elena walked forward with Katherine and Rebekah, and the Original moved to stand in front of her mother, her hand holding Bonnie's to one side and Grigore's to the other. Elena took Bonnie's other hand and squeezed as they formed a circle around the trapped witch. Her best friend glanced to her with a melancholy smile on her face, and Elena felt tears come to her eyes.

Rebekah looked up at Esther. "I'm sorry it has to end this way, Mother. But it's not your choice to end our race. Nature has said so."

"Please, Rebekah – you cannot banish me back to that hell-"

Rebekah looked down, and Elena could see tears glistening under her lashes as she started to chant with the others. Elena closed her eyes again, the words and language of the spell lulling her into a trancelike state. She didn't open them again until there was warmth upon her face and new shrieking pierced her ears.

Esther was engulfed in flames now, and it was a horrific sight. The acrid smell of flesh filled the air as it peeled away from her body, followed by muscle and tendon, all devoured by the fire that started at the base of the roots. The screams became hoarse and died out as the soft tissue of her larynx disintegrated. The skeletal form that was left dropped into ash as the fire went out, leaving them in silence.

A creaking, slithering sound came up from the earth soon after, and Elena looked down to see additional roots pushing through the soil and grass. They wound together, doubling and tripling upon themselves until they twisted into a great trunk, and the circle's hands separated as each of them stepped back to give the growing tree room. The vampires and humans watched as a cypress formed at the site of Esther's final demise, a peaceful reminder of the devastation they conquered tonight.

They all stared in awe, so moved by its creation that no one said a word. Elena wondered if it was something the witches had planned for or if it was a surprise offering of Nature herself, relieved at the battle they'd won.

When she looked around at the other faces, she wasn't surprised to see Katherine had already left them behind. It was typical. As long as she'd saved her hide, not much else mattered. Rebekah was the next to step away, hiding the tears from the others. She walked back down the hill, and her three brothers formed a protective shield around her. But she shrugged off their comforting gestures as they left the others behind. Elena remained next to Bonnie. And then Elijah came forward, dropping to one knee before the cypress in a silent prayer for his mother's soul.

He was as orphaned by the world as she had been, and she could only watch him.

"I'm… going to go," Bonnie said after a few minutes, and Elena saw that Grigore was waiting next to her.

"Of course," Elena said. "Maybe…" She glanced to Alaric at her other side. "Do you think you can catch a ride with them? I… need to stay for a little bit."

He nodded. "Just be careful."

"I promise."

Bonnie looked between them, and then her eyes lit with understanding when her gaze came to rest upon Elijah. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Elena only nodded, knowing now wasn't the time to try to offer any kind of explanation. She pulled Bonnie into a tight hug of relief.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."

And then, it was only them.

She took a ginger step in his direction, not wanting to interrupt the solemn moment. He looked up at her. "I thought you would have left with the others," he said quietly, his voice tinged with sadness.

"I couldn't leave you."

Elijah's gaze was back upon the tree, and there was a long silence before the confession began.

"I didn't feel much for Esther in her current incarnation," he said. "The mother we knew as children wasn't in there. But once… she was the woman we loved, would have given our lives for because of how fiercely she protected us and comforted our sorrows. She loved us, as only a mother could. And to see her die at our mutual hand…" He shook his head, throwing the twig he'd held to the ground. "I am no better than Niklaus now. Not one of us is. We collectively murdered her."

"But she would have killed you," Elena said, trying to deflect his blame from himself. "And then destroyed everything."

"I know." His voice was so soft that she barely heard him, and he stood, facing her now, taking her face in his hands. "I couldn't have bore that guilt on my soul. Undead or dead. But the tragedy of this night will haunt me."

Witnessing the pain in his eyes made her feel as though her lungs might collapse under its weight, and she wanted desperately to console him of everything that troubled him. But centuries of guilt and remorse laid behind the newest grief, and it would be an eternal – if not impossible - task. Still, she leaned forward, closing her eyes as she allowed her lips to brush over his gently. Itwas a brief, tentative gesture, one that she wasn't sure would be received well, and she pulled away after a few seconds. She didn't want him to think she would push things any further.

But then he pulled her back, his mouth bruising against hers with the fervor of a man broken, a man trying to forget. A man who had given in to his innermost demon. She shuddered in his embrace. His lips found her neck, and she struggled with her conscience. She couldn't let him take her here, as much as she wanted him. Not in the graveyard, not surrounded by the memory of his mother's final moments. It was far too morbid.

"Elijah," she breathed out, contorting herself so her face was level with his again. "We can't…"

"I don't care," he said raggedly, and there was the defeat in his eyes. He'd given up, and it scared her. "I don't want to remember anymore. I don't want to feel anything else tonight, Elena… just give me that."

His fingers dug into her flesh, just under the hem of her shirt, an indication of what he needed from her. She closed her eyes as she breathed in… as much as she wanted to protect her heart, as certain as she was that it would destroy her, she couldn't deny him. The words were falling from her lips before she could stop herself.

"Take me home, with you."


	12. Chapter 12

"I can't believe it's over."

Klaus nodded, his gaze on the fire, swirling the scotch in his glass. He didn't say anything as Rebekah came to stand next to his chair.

"Now it's a matter of finding the white oak," she added absently, and her expression was preoccupied as he looked up at her.

"The witch knows where it is. I'd say we ought to kill her too, but there will always be another," he answered.

She sighed as she gave him a weary look, and the dim glow of the flames highlighted the dried salty trails upon her cheeks. His jaw tightened. He hated to see her so distraught. He hated what she'd been put through tonight… she was their mother's doting daughter when they were human, and Esther's death left her gutted a thousand years ago. He could only imagine that she was on the verge of breaking now that she had finally ended their mother, involved more directly than the rest of them. He reached out and took her hand.

"It will be okay, Rebekah."

She shook her head as she looked away from him, something in his words perturbing her and he braced himself. When she got this way, it wasn't ever predictable, and they usually ended up deadlocked in a screaming match.

"Don't you ever get tired of the killing, Nik? It doesn't solve anything. Ever. You should realize that after all this time." Her gaze softened with guilt at his wounded expression, and she bit her lip. It was a fight they'd had before, but something was different about it this time. He could tell she was more troubled, more affected by their actions. Her conscience was heavier. "Maybe we ought to just give in."

His gaze narrowed. "Give in how, exactly?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper and she avoided his gaze. "Turn human."

"No, Rebekah – don't even tell me you're reconsidering now!"

He jumped up from the chair and she backed away from him, though her stance remained confident.

"How can you blame me? Look at how complicated our life has been and will continue to be, and how we've barely even lived! I'd rather know how much time I have left, to be able to experience everything our parents stole from us. I just want to be normal. I want to grow up, grow old… I don't want to be ruled by this darkness anymore."

He was staring at the floor, or perhaps through it, as his eyes weren't focused on anything. And his eyes were a little too bright… he could see her face crumpling in his periphery, hear a faint sob catching in her throat as she looked at him. Rebekah reached forward for his arm, his hand, but he shrugged her off.

Her voice trembled as she recomposed herself. "Do you remember before we turned, Nik? How Mother started to teach me the ways of witchcraft? I was so excited to learn, and then it was stolen away from me. Until tonight. I felt more alive in those moments than I have in centuries. That is what was meant for me. Not this."

Of course he remembered it, when their days were brighter and full of promise, when he'd been hoping for Tatia's hand and to start a family of their own. But to go back there… he couldn't startagain from that point, not now. There was too much death within him. It would always linger in his soul. "I can't, Rebekah. I can't go back to that life of an ordinary fellow. That is not me, now."

"But how can you be so sure? We would all be by your side, and you could start over, become the man you always said you would be… a better father than our father, understanding… you have it in you, Nik. You've just let the darkness take over for so long that you've forgotten. But we would help you - me and Elijah, and even Finn."

"How can you expect me to give up eternity for sixty years?"

"Because," she said, drawing closer, tentatively resting her hand on his arm. "At least you would know you had those sixty years rather than watching your back until you ended up staked. It will happen. You and I both know it."

"And yet it may be another thousand years from now, sister-"

"That will have meant nothing. And you will realize then you missed the opportunity to do the right thing. You can't remain selfish forever, unless you want to end up alone."

"If you're threatening to leave me, Bekah, it won't work. I'll create another family of hybrids. I will be just fine in the end, with you or without. I don't need any of you."

His lips twisted into a sneer, though inside he felt like she was tearing his heart from his chest. He would never be enough for them, even after everything he'd done to preserve them, to keep them together. Some part of her would always hate him for not giving in… they would all resent him for eternity.

Rebekah crossed her arms, her expression surly now. "You will find out that you do. And we may still be there for you, when the brother that we loved returns. But just remember that you're not the only one who's suffered."

Her expression was too much, a combination of their mother and their father at their most acrimonious and her eyes bitter. After all he had done for her. He wasn't delusional - they'd hurt each other many times over the years. But he'd always figured it was expected with what they were, their unnatural lifespan – there was no way to avoid it, and it was something they all accepted. However, he'd ultimately played the role of protective big brother. He'd kept her safe from their father, kept her alive, by keeping her by his side. He'd built this house for her, their orphaned and broken family, to stay together. To never be alone. And now she threatened to leave him again, no thanks for any of it. But this time, there was no dagger to keep her in line or to make her stay. His shaking hand slammed the glass onto the cherry end table, a permanent circle imprinted from the force. He glared back at her before he stormed from the room, down the hallway, to the foyer.

"Nik!" she yelled after him.

He refused to turn around.

oOo

Elijah led her down the hallway, and she stepped over the threshold into his room. It was dark and elegant like the rest of the house, though simple in its decoration. She didn't suppose he spent much time here, as it wasn't his true home but merely a place to lay his head. A gilded fractured mirror hanging on the wall caught her nervous eye.

He closed the door, stopping to look at her before drawing her toward him.

Elena let out a small gasp of surprise at the sudden movement, as she was sure he would stop himself, find himself, control himself before they got back here. But apparently that wasn't the case, she thought, as their bodies met, flush against one another. Tonight Elijah wasn't interested in following the higher road or denying himself even if it was wrong. And she wasn't sure if she were satisfied that he'd finally given in, or terrified of how far it would go. Perhaps a strange combination of both, she thought, as he kissed her again.

His lips never left hers as he pulled off his jacket, his shirt, backing her toward the large bed. His fingers slid beneath her sweater and it fell to the floor. Elijah broke away long enough to pull her camisole over her head, and then his mouth was at hers again, his teeth nipping at her lower lip. He rested her on the bed, leaning over her, his hands traveling down her body as he laid her bare before him. And then his eyes drank her in to imprint her form upon his memory, before she felt him push into her.

"Ohhhh," they breathed together, at the delicious friction. He moved slowly, as though he wanted to relish every moment, and Elena sighed at the blissful ache as her body adjusted to him.

His eyes smoldered as he set the tempo, his arms to either side of her head to brace himself above her, and she shuddered at the intensity of the connection between them. It wasn't anything less than what she had anticipated… it was overwhelming enough when they were in the same space, clothed, distanced from one another. But their current communion left her drowning in the realization that she could never be with anyone else, that Elijah had ruined her.

His head dipped, a hint of guilt in those dark eyes just before he broke their gaze, and she let out a whispered gasp of his name when she felt his mouth trail over her neck, planting light kisses along her collarbone before he reached her breasts. The sensation of his mouth, his tongue, his teeth against her delicate flesh filled the room with the sound of her soft sighs and moans. She ran her nails over his chest, along his sides, eliciting an appreciative growl in response. And as the familiar burn began low in her belly, she pulled his mouth back down to hers. She wanted to taste him, let him devour her completely tonight. His tongue pushed past her lips, tangling with her own, and Elena moaned as the burn intensified, her signal that she was close.

He must have sensed she was nearing her end, and he pulled her into his lap. Her body pressed against his, their faces only inches from each other. His hands were on her hips, moving her against him and increasing her speed. He watched in awe as she came apart in his arms, and she captured his lips between her breathy moans and her whispered confessions of "I love you." Andfor some reason, her eyes ached with tears that threatened to fall. She couldn't shake the harbinger that hung over them.

Elijah soon followed her over the brink, calling her name in vain and crushing his mouth against hers. His fingers bit into the flesh of her hips as he held her still. He rested his forehead upon hers, relishing the last throes. They remained like that for a few moments until Elena brushed her lips gently over his, a kiss not unlike the one that started it all off. Then they collapsed together against the mattress, a mess of tangled limbs on his bed.

oOo

Caroline woke with a start. Had the door opened downstairs?

She held her breath, hoping it wasn't Tyler. He found the drawing Klaus gave her earlier this evening, and she had been sure things were over between them now. He'd lost it when she couldn't deny that she had feelings for Klaus. She couldn't do any more arguing or crying tonight, and a tiny part of her didn't want to fall back in with the high school boy by default. Which left her feeling awful because Tyler had gone through so much to break the sire bond, just for her. But when she looked at him, she didn't feel the same. And it wasn't right to lie to him by pretending she did, even if her chance with Klaus had passed.

She felt like a fool for having any hope about the Original, for thinking about him so much. But that same tiny part of her wouldn't let her give up. She was disappointed that he hadn't contacted her tonight, after they took down Esther. She knew the spell was done, because Bonnie had called her. And she figured he would have sought her out for company or comfort or distraction, whatever she was to him. But she didn't hear a single word from him. Caroline winced, realizing that she must have really upset him when she last saw him, or maybe he had an epiphany that she wasn't the one for him. Whatever the truth was, it stung a lot deeper than she'd expected.

She had just snuggled back into her pillow when she heard footsteps on the stairs. She opened her eyes, and there he was, at the landing just beyond her door. She sat up, biting at her lip anxiously, finally calling out to him when he didn't move or speak.

"Klaus?"

oOo

He didn't know how he'd ended up here.

One moment he was out in the streets, stalking along, cursing his family and his existence as Rebekah's words played through his head on repeat. He was trying to distance himself as far as he could from that stifling house and its suffocating inhabitants.

The next he was in her foyer, the scent of her from her jacket and scarf surrounding him. He'd heard her breathing shift, and he thought of leaving again, but then he was at the top of the stairs, looking in her room. Watching her.

And she was sitting up now, watching him. Calling his name.

"Come here," she coaxed softly, and her eyes were wide as he approached, assessing his appearance. "Are you… are you okay?"

She reached up, touching his face as he sat next to her. Klaus knew she could see that his eyes were damp, that he was distraught. But he couldn't speak, the ache in his throat cut off his words, and he didn't even know what he would say. Apologize for acting like a first-rate ass when he last saw her? Confess that he was more terrified than anyone could imagine that he would fail miserably as a human? He wasn't ready for that breakdown - not tonight, if ever.

They sat in silence, and he was grateful that she didn't prod. She knew to just let him be, offering quiet comfort with her presence. Eventually, she lifted the covers, scooting over to the other side of the bed. He kicked off his shoes and slid underneath as they both laid down, facing each other.

"Thank you," he finally said.

Caroline gave a soft smile, and then she shifted closer, into crook of his arm.

"It's okay," she admitted as his arm curled around her shoulders and their fingers intertwined. "You don't have to say anything. Just… stay."

He hadn't intended on doing anything otherwise. Not tonight, if ever.

oOo

Something wasn't right.

She burrowed further under the covers, reaching out for Elijah as she remembered the night before.

But the bed was empty. And the room was too bright. A voice wafting in from down the hallway registered as Ric's, and she sat up, looking around.

She was in her room. He'd brought her back here, and then left her.

On her nightstand sat a letter. Her stomach churned. She lifted it with shaking hands, tearing under the seal. She unfolded the parchment and began to read:

_Elena-_

_I may as well confess now that I'm in love with you. Don't ever doubt that. You have to know that I would give anything to be with you, and after last night it was a Herculean effort to force myself to let you go. You are beautiful, inside and out. I can say with certainty that I will never feel for another as I do for you._

_But my conscience will never allow me to compromise your safety or well-being, so I cannot act selfishly. I have to let you go. Despite anything I've said before, this is my greatest regret. I should have left you alone, rather than breaking your heart. I will never forgive myself for that, but I am also utterly grateful for every moment I've had with you. It's an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my days. I only hope you can forgive me._

_I will never give up on my efforts to bring my siblings round to Bonnie's deal, so that someday I may return to you as the human man you deserve. But in the meantime you must let me go, and live your life. You musn't wait for me. If the opportunity presents itself I want you to move on, because it is what would be best for you. You deserve the best of everything._

_I love you, Elena._

_Always,_

_Elijah_

_x_

The script bled away under her tears.


	13. Chapter 13

**Epilogue**

Elena stood bleary-eyed at the counter, brewing coffee after her alarm woke her at 7:30am. Against her better judgement, she'd spent the night out with her friends and closed down the bar a few blocks over. Now she was doing her best to ignore the stacks of notes and books that were towering on the table behind her. She wasn't looking forward to spending the sunny May weekend inside reviewing for finals. With a yawn, she debated whether she'd end up on the make-shift roof deck or at the café down the street. Anywhere but inside the claustrophobic Brooklyn apartment she'd called home for the most of the last four years.

Sometimes it still seemed surreal that she was living in a tiny corner in this loud and chaotic city instead of in her big house back in Mystic Falls. The time had flown by – it seemed like yesterday she was going to prom with Matt, crashing graduation parties with Caroline, huggingBonnie and Jeremy and Alaric goodbye. But she'd also grown so much here on her own – the high school senior version of Elena was entirely different than who she was today. And that was a good thing – she'd gotten some perspective on the world and life in general. She supposed she should thank Elijah for that, though her heart still ached for him. But if he hadn't left her, she wouldn't be here.

NYU had been a pipe dream when she first applied… nostalgia of what she'd planned with her mom, when she dreamed of being a writer, before vampires became real. Most of the schools she seriously considered were located somewhere in Virginia or neighboring states, all a reasonable drive from Mystic Falls. And when she first received the acceptance letter, it was stuffed into the bottom of a drawer and quickly forgotten. After all, there was a lot more happening then – she wasn't even sure if she'd be around to start college or if she would want to leave the Salvatores behind. But everything had changed by the time she had to reserve her spot at the school of her choice. She was alive and while not altogether well, recovered enough from Elijah's departure to know she needed a change of scenery. Alaric encouraged her when she told him what she was thinking, and Caroline was her personal cheerleader in the "move to NYC" campaign (though she may have had a personal stake in having a best friend-slash-crash pad in the city that never slept).

Still, she didn't forget about Elijah, even when she was nearly 500 miles from home. When Caroline first began trekking north for weekend visits, Elena hinted around about the elder Mikaelson. Not directly – she was supposed to be recovered and functioning – but subtly she broached what was going on at home. Caroline never had any news about him or any progress with Klaus and Bonnie, though, and Elena couldn't be sure whether her friend was being honest or just looking out for her best interests. It eventually became the elephant in the room during the awkward moments.

And similarly, Caroline tried to gently force Elena to move on, at least in the beginning, by asking if there were any new love interests on the horizon. Elena was quick to shut her down, though, because there weren't. And when Caroline asked why she was waiting, Elena pointed out that she wasn't... it was just that no one else compared. Not even Stefan or Damon. The blonde couldn't really protest then, because they both sort of knew it was true... anyone else would just be settling, and Elena couldn't go there. She couldn't accept that she'd both known and lost her one great love when she was only eighteen years old. It seemed too tragic that she had the rest of her life to face without him.

That wasn't to say there weren't lonely moments of weakness, usually when she was drunk and caught up in the giddiness of her girlfriends. She'd occasionally made out with dark haired, dark eyed boys and may have woken up with them in her bed a handful of times. But the sight of them next to her in the morning and not him left her feeling worse than before. It was like reliving the morning she found the letter.

And she never told anyone else but she still secretly texted him. It was like her quirky confessional, a way of staying close to him even though he never replied. But she knew he had to be reading and she wanted him to know what she was doing, how she was doing… that she wasstill living and not entirely just going through the motions. Sometimes she confessed that she wished he was there with her. And in her gloomier moments, she told him how it still hurt.

But today wasn't such a day. Elena thought of him, like she always did, wondering where he was and what he was doing, but the ache wasn't incapacitating, not like the headache from her hangover. There were other things on her mind to be excited about – her graduation in a week's time, and her move to Atlanta for a new job. Her roommate had taken off for a weekend jaunt to the shore as well, which meant that she had the apartment to herself while she studied.

After devouring a bagel and taking a quick shower, she felt slightly more human and she finally settled in on the couch with her books spread out around her. Elena wasn't far into her first set of notes when her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She absently grabbed it, expecting it to be one of her friends trying to wrestle her away from the books for some shopping. But she froze when she read the name on the screen.

_Are you home?_

_Yes,_ she typed back quickly. This couldn't possibly be real… someone had to be playing a prank.

_Look out the window._

_Is this a joke?_

_Just look outside, Elena._

Holding her phone with trembling fingers, she stood up from the couch. A mixture of frustration and anxiety swirled through her stomach… if this was a joke, it couldn't be any more cruel.

The phone crashed to the floor when she looked down at the street and saw him looking back. It was the last thing on her mind as she hurried out her door and raced down the four flights of stairs. She didn't even care that all she had on were her pajama shorts and a tee. She barely noticed the cat calls as she stepped out the front door and crashed into his arms, likely crushing the red roses he held in the process.

"Oh my God," she breathed into his shoulder, her eyes squeezed shut around tears. "Oh my God, you're really here!"

"Yes," Elijah murmured into her ear, his grip just as tight as hers. "I'm finally here."

She took a half step back after a few moments, staring at his beautiful face, wanting to take him all in. His hair was a bit longer again, similar to when she'd first met him, and he was dressed more casually than she'd remembered, though still stylish. He grinned as Elena eagerly tugged him forward, wary of giving the onlookers more of a show. He followed her up the stairs to her second floor apartment, and as she turned around to bring him inside, he drew her to him, his mouth descending upon hers. She felt as though her heart might pound out of her chest.

"Not here," she whispered against his lips.

Elena pulled him through the door, silently thankful that she'd had the odd forethought to clean a little, and that the flat wasn't as disastrous as when her roommate left. She led him through the living room and past the sofa covered with her books, into her shoebox-sized room, where the bed took up most of the space. She laid down on the mattress, and a subtle shyness hung over them as he set the roses on her dresser and then moved to lie next to her, propping his head up on his arm. But she was just as happy to look at him as she was to kiss him. The full realization of how much she'd missed him slammed into her chest. She took a deep shuddering breath, swallowing down the urge to cry or to laugh or to shriek in happiness. His tentative hand ran along her side and Elijah gave her a contented smile.

"Did you get my texts?" she asked, blushing as she broke into the heady silence.

He nodded. "Every single one."

"I'm sorry… I know some were a little, well… raw."

His expression shifted, and he held her hand now, rubbing slow circles into her palm. "Elena, it was a miracle that you wanted to even speak to me again after how I left you. Don't ever apologize for that."

"I wasn't ever really mad. I just missed you," she admitted. "And I know why you did it. It doesn't mean that it didn't hurt, but I don't think I could have ever let you go if you didn't just leave."

"I never ventured far from you," he confessed. "Even while you've been at school, I've kept tabs on you… I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if anything happened to you. But you needed to think I was gone, so you could carry on with your life."

"You're not coming back just to leave me again," she asked warily, his face inches from hers, her eyes searching his.

"Never… as long as you'll have me." He kissed her palm, his eyes remaining on hers. "As long as you haven't found anyone else, Elena… I want you."

She swallowed, her mind recognizing the fact that she didn't formally invite him in today. "Does that mean…did Klaus…?"

"Yes." He pressed her hand against his chest, and she could feel his heart racing with hers. She smiled, her throat aching as she was overcome with emotion. "Are you mine?" he asked, his voice low.

"Always," she promised. "No one could steal my heart from you."

He smiled, probably in the most unencumbered manner that she'd ever witnessed, which left her giddy herself, and she giggled. "I should chastise you," he said. "For not moving on as I'd asked… but I'm relieved enough to confess that I'm selfish, and I would've been devastated if you had."

"See… you should be careful what you wish for… mmmm…" she sighed, as he rolled over above her and caught her lips in a prolonged kiss, and he looked positively mischievous when he pulled away.

"Oh, what I asked and what I wished were two entirely different things, Miss Gilbert," he smirked as he laced his fingers through hers and brought her hands above her head. "I'd be happy to demonstrate exactly what I've been imagining, if you like."

"I've been waiting," she teased in a whisper. Elena raised her head to meet his in another kiss, and his low chuckle reverberated against her lips as he set about showing her.

oOo

"You guys should have just let me call her, instead of sending Elijah to get her. She'd be here already." Caroline placed her phone back on the counter with an impatient sigh. "They'll probably end up holed up in her bed for the whole weekend, and I'll have to wait till Bonnie's home again next weekend."

"Come on now, sweetheart. You know there's something to be said for romance." Klaus came up behind where she sat on a barstool in his kitchen, setting his hands on her shoulders. "Besides, one more weekend might not be so bad. I'll be a bit sad to see you turn human... it's been interesting having the tables turned, being corrupted by a vampire mistress."

"And by interesting, you mean I rocked your world," she said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms for emphasis. She cast a coquettish sidelong glance over her shoulder.

"Ah, yes," he smirked, pushing her hair from her neck, his voice lowering in a manner that made her knees weak. "A matter of semantics, love."

He nipped at her neck with blunt teeth and she giggled as her eyes fluttered. "You're evil, even now. Don't try to take my mind off of this!"

Klaus grinned as she huffed away from him, her blonde curls swaying as she walked toward the foyer. He glanced down at the screen of his phone again, and right on cue she stopped dead.

"Someone's here," she said, turning to stare at him. He couldn't hide the smile and she shrieked, clapping her hands together as she hurried into the hallway. He followed behind leisurely, and by the time he arrived in the foyer, there was only a whirlwind of a blonde and a brunette jumping and hugging each other, and his brother stood behind them with a similarly amused expression. Klaus shook his head when Elijah glanced over.

"I'm glad I don't have vampire hearing anymore at times like this," he joked, and Caroline had separated from Elena long enough to sock him in the shoulder.

"You big liar! You knew they were already on their way back and you didn't even tell me!"

"But wasn't it a good surprise?" he asked and she bit her lip on a huge smile.

"The best surprise," she agreed as she leaned in to give him a quick kiss.

"Yes, well, remember that later."

Caroline attempted to glare at him but only succeeded with a smirk.

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything," Elena said, one hand holding Elijah's, and her other now firmly clasping Caroline's. "You're my best friend."

Caroline nodded back, unable to speak as she was clearly overcome with emotion, and Elena pulled her into another hug.

Elijah and Klaus shared a second glance now, one laced with nostalgia, regret, gratitude, their sentiment apparently the same. Despite their long history of bitterness and fighting, they'd arrived together, as brothers, to their mutual destiny. And it looked nothing like what either had envisioned centuries ago.

It was even better.


End file.
